European Union figures
Renewable energy more popular than coal
For the first time in the European Union (EU), more energy has been extracted from renewable energy sources than from coal. The Netherlands was one of the countries in which energy production from wind turbines increased the fastest in 2017. This is stated in a report by Agora Energiewende and Sanbag.
In 2017, 12% more renewable energy was generated in the EU than in 2016. Compared to 2010, the share of renewable energy (wind energy, solar energy, hydropower and biomass) in total production has doubled. The share of solar energy in the EU remained surprisingly low at 14%.
Wind energy is increasing
Wind energy showed the largest increase in 2017 (+19%) in the EU. The Netherlands was one of the countries where the share of energy generated from wind increased the fastest. This is due to the amount of investments in wind energy and the good wind conditions of the past year.
In the Netherlands, the picture is comparable to that of the EU. The production of wind and solar energy is showing increases, while energy production from coal has decreased by 5%.
(Text continues below the table)
| years | Cabbage | Other fossil | Gas | Nuclear | Zon | Wind | Biomass |
| 2017 | 26% | 6% | 49% | 3% | 2% | 9% | 4% |
| 2016 | 31% | 7% | 46% | 3% | 1% | 7% | 4% |
*The table above shows energy production in the Netherlands.
Share of electricity production
The share of renewable energy in total production has increased by 2%: from 29,8% (2016) to 30% (2017). The fact that this has not increased faster is because not all sustainable energy productions showed growth. Hydropower actually decreased and biomass energy increased by only 3%. Gas (19,7%), coal (20,6%) and nuclear energy (25,6%) together still make the largest contribution to total energy generation.
Leading countries
Countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) account for the largest share of the increased renewable energy production with about 50%. Denmark is leading the way. In 2017, 74% of the electricity there came from renewable sources.
In the Netherlands we are far behind. About 15% of the production here consists of renewable energy. This puts us in fifteenth place and we tolerate countries such as Germany, Belgium and the UK.
Cabbage
However, the Netherlands is a frontrunner in phasing out the use of energy from coal. Energy production from coal in the EU decreased by 7%. The fact that more sustainable energy has now been produced is significant progress. This is because 5 years ago coal was used twice as often for energy generation. Agora expects coal power generation to continue to decline.
Total electricity demand in the EU increased by 0,7%. This means that demand has increased for the third year in a row. Click here for the full report of Agora Energiewende and Sanbag.
Anne-Jan Doorn
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