EU Renewable Electricity Share Reaches 45.5 % in Q1 2026, Led by Denmark, Portugal and Lithuania

Eurostat reports that renewable sources supplied 45.5 % of electricity generated across 27 EU member states in the January-March 2026 quarter, up from 42.7 % a year earlier. Wind contributed 44.9 % of renewable output, hydro 28.0 %, solar 17.3 %, combustible renewable fuels 9.4 % and geothermal/other sources 0.4 %.

Denmark, Portugal, and Lithuania lead with highest share of electricity with renewables, as total EU ups to nearly 50%Euronews

The rise follows the EU’s intensified push for domestic clean power after the Iran-related energy crisis exposed the vulnerability of fossil-fuel imports. EU officials have framed renewable expansion as a national-security measure aimed at reducing geopolitical supply risks.

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• Renewable electricity share: 45.5 % (Q1 2026) vs. 42.7 % (Q1 2025).

Denmark, Portugal, and Lithuania lead with highest share of electricity with renewables, as total EU ups to nearly 50%

• Wind share of renewables: 44.9 %; hydro: 28.0 %; solar: 17.3 %.

Denmark, Portugal, and Lithuania lead with highest share of electricity with renewables, as total EU ups to nearly 50%

• The International Energy Agency estimates the EU saved €51.4 billion in 2025 by cutting fossil-fuel imports.

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• The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air projects €8.5 billion in consumer savings for Denmark, Finland, France, Sweden and Slovakia in 2026.

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Denmark achieved a 90 % renewable electricity share, driven primarily by wind farms. Portugal recorded 82.9 % renewable generation, largely from hydro resources. Lithuania reached 75.7 % renewable electricity, also wind-dominant. In contrast, Czechia (12.7 %), Malta (13.0 %) and Slovakia (17.2 %) remain at the lower end of the EU spectrum.

Denmark, Portugal, and Lithuania lead with highest share of electricity with renewables, as total EU ups to nearly 50%Euronews

Renewable growth has helped lower energy costs in several states, yet a June heatwave and high gas prices triggered short-term spikes. In France and Germany, electricity bills rose by more than €700 million in a single week as cooling demand forced reliance on gas, according to analysis by environmental NGO 350.org.

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EU policymakers have reiterated the strategic priority of expanding wind, hydro and solar capacity while investing in storage and grid upgrades to align market operations with a renewables-dominant mix.

Denmark, Portugal, and Lithuania lead with highest share of electricity with renewables, as total EU ups to nearly 50%

Analysts argue that Europe’s merit-order system—where the most expensive generation source sets the market price—may be incompatible with a high-renewable grid. Recent price spikes highlight concerns that gas-driven pricing can erode the cost advantages of renewable expansion without sufficient storage or flexible generation.

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• “4 billion in 2025 by lowering fossil fuel imports, according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).” — International Energy Agency (IEA) report

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• “It has raised fresh questions over whether Europe’s ‘merit order’ system – in which the most expensive power source required to meet demand, typically gas, sets the price for the entire grid – can ever be compatible with a renewables-dominated future.” — 350.org analysis

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All sources agree on the 45.5 % renewable share for Q1 2026, but detailed data on storage capacity, demand-response participation and cross-border transmission constraints are not provided, limiting a full assessment of integration challenges.

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The EU is set to finalize the 2026-2030 Renewable Energy Directive revision, targeting a 55 % renewable electricity share by 2030. Planned actions include new offshore wind projects, expanded battery-storage pilots, and reinforced interconnectors to reduce reliance on gas in the merit-order pricing cascade.

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