The share of renewable energy in the European Union’s total electricity consumption will increase to 37.5 percent in 2020 from 34 percent in 2019, the statistical office Eurostat said in a report on Wednesday.
Austria reported the highest share of renewable energy in EU electricity consumption, while the Czech Republic was among the five countries with the lowest percentage.
Renewables will account for 78.2 percent of Austria’s electricity consumption in 2020. Besides Austria, only Sweden (75 percent) was above the 70 percent threshold in the EU.
In addition to Austria and Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, Croatia, and Latvia covered more than half of their electricity consumption from renewable sources.
In Germany, the share of renewables was 45 percent, in Slovakia it was 23 percent, and in Poland, it was 16 percent.
Renewables accounted for 15% of total energy consumption in the Czech Republic. Only Luxembourg, Hungary, Cyprus, and Malta had a lower share in the EU.
Last year, 36% of electricity from renewable sources in the EU came from wind power.
Hydropower accounted for 33 percent and solar power for 14 percent of the EU’s electricity consumption from renewable sources. Biofuels and other renewables accounted for the rest.