Where does our energy come from?

The energy available in the European Union comes from energy produced in the EU and from energy imported from third countries. In 2014, the EU produced around one third (35 %) of its own energy, while around two thirds (65 %) were imported.

Imports and production form together the sources of energy available in the EU

In order to get a good overview of the total energy available in the EU, energy production should always be put in context with imports.

In 2014, the energy mix in the EU, meaning the range of energy sources available, was mainly made up by five different sources: Petroleum products (including crude oil) (34 %), natural gas (21 %), solid fuels (17 %), nuclear energy (14 %) and renewable energy (13 %).

The shares of the different energy sources in the the total energy available vary considerably between Member States. Petroleum products (including crude oil) account for a significant share of total energy available in Malta (98 %), Cyprus (94 %) and Luxembourg (63 %), while natural gas makes up around a third in the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom. Over half of the energy available in Estonia (67 %) and Poland (52 %) comes from solid fuels (mainly coal), while nuclear energy accounts for 45% in France and 35 % in Sweden. Renewable energy makes up over a third in Latvia and Sweden (both 36 %).