What is the source of the electricity we consume?

Almost half of the electricity consumed in the EU comes from power stations burning combustible (renewable and non-renewable) fuels

Around 22 % of the final energy we consume is electricity and it comes from different sources. Almost half (48 %) of the electricity consumed in the EU in 2014 came from power stations burning combustible fuels (such as natural gas, coal, biofuels and oil), while 27 % came from nuclear power plants and 25 % from renewable energy sources. Among these renewable energy sources, the highest share of electricity consumed came from hydropower plants (13 %), wind turbines (8 %) and solar power (3 %).

The sources of electricity consumption vary among the Member States: over 90 % of electricity consumption came from combustible fuels in Malta, Estonia, Cyprus and Poland, while three quarters (77 %) of electricity consumption came from nuclear power plants in France, followed by 58 % in Slovakia and 54 % in Hungary. In Croatia and Austria almost 70 % of electricity consumption came from hydro power plants, while 42 % of electricity consumption in Denmark came from wind energy.