Ember
Energy think tank that found renewables beat fossil fuels in EU electricity for the first time in 2025.
Last refreshed: 13 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
If renewables are now beating fossil fuels, why is Europe's gas bill still rising?
Timeline for Ember
Published data showing gas sets electricity price 90% of time in Italy versus 15% in Spain
European Energy Markets: Power prices split EUR 131 north-southPublished findings showing wind and solar exceeded fossil generation in EU for first time in 2025
European Energy Markets: Renewables pass fossil fuels, gas bill rises- Did renewables beat fossil fuels in Europe in 2025?
- Yes. According to Ember, wind and solar generated 30% of EU electricity in 2025 versus 29% from fossil fuels, the first time renewables exceeded fossil generation in EU electricity.Source: Ember
- Why is Europe's gas electricity bill still rising if renewables are growing?
- Ember found that despite renewables overtaking fossil fuels overall, reduced hydro output forced an 8% rise in gas generation in 2025. The EU power sector's gas import bill hit EUR 32bn, up 16% year-on-year.Source: Ember
- Why are electricity prices so different in Italy versus Spain?
- Gas sets the electricity price 90% of the time in Italy but only 15% in Spain, according to Ember, because Spain has far more solar and wind generation. On 13 April 2026, Italy cleared at EUR 133/MWh while Spain cleared at EUR 29/MWh.Source: Ember
Background
Ember published a landmark finding for 2025: wind and solar exceeded fossil fuels in EU electricity generation for the first time, at 30% versus 29%. Yet the EU power sector's gas import bill still reached EUR 32 billion in 2025, up 16% year-on-year, because gas generation rose 8% to compensate for reduced hydro output. Ember's data also revealed a structural North-South power price divide: gas sets the electricity price 90% of the time in Italy but only 15% of the time in Spain and Portugal.
Ember is a London-based climate and energy think tank founded in 2017, specialising in electricity sector data and policy analysis. It publishes the annual Global Electricity Review and the European Electricity Review, which are widely cited by policymakers, investors, and the media. Ember's methodology focuses on real-time and historical electricity generation data from system operators, providing granular country-level breakdowns.
Ember's analysis of marginal gas pricing is particularly consequential for the current storage crisis: in markets where gas dominates marginal pricing, refilling costs fall directly on electricity consumers. The day-ahead price data on 13 April 2026 illustrated the split sharply, with Italy at EUR 133/MWh and Spain at EUR 29/MWh. Countries with high gas-at-margin exposure face a compounding problem: high storage costs and high retail electricity bills simultaneously.
