Renewable share in energy generation keeps rising

Eurostat published data on the use of renewable energy sources in heating and cooling. It continues to increase in the EU, with the share of energy from renewables in those areas reaching 26.2% in 2023, the highest value since the time series started in 2004 (11.7%). Sweden led the way in 2023 when it came to renewables in heating and cooling, with a 67.1% share, followed by Estonia (66.7%). Both countries use mostly biomass and heat pumps. According to the EU directive, all European countries should increase their shares of renewables in heating and cooling. CEE countries have their share between 36% (Croatia) and 18% (Slovakia). Looking more generally on the net electricity production in the region, the use of renewables and biofuels increased substantially in recent years, as net electricity generation using that type of fuel rose by roughly 28,500 Gigawatt-hours since 2021. Russias invasion changed the mix of net electricity production in Europe and in the region. Between 2021 and 2024, net electricity generation in CEE8 declined by more than 25,000 Gigawatt-hours. Looking at fuel type, the use of natural gas dropped by almost 5,000 Gigawatt-hours, covering roughly 20% of the total decline in net electricity generation.