Energy transition
More electricity from fossils than from renewable energy sources
Finally, it was steadily uphill with the electricity content of renewable energy. Now the trend is around: the proportion of fossil sources is closing again. The reason is obvious.
In the first quarter of this year, more electricity from fossil energy sources was generated in Germany than from renewable. This was last the case in the first quarter of 2023, as the Federal Statistical Office announced. Since then, the proportion of electricity from renewable energy sources had always outweighed the out of conventional.
According to the statistics, 50.5 percent of electricity in Germany came from fossil sources such as coal or natural gas in the first quarter of this year. In the previous year it was only 41.5 percent.
Renewable energies such as wind power decreased significantly: With 49.5 percent of the total domestic electricity production, their share was significantly below that of the first quarter of 2024 (58.5 percent).
The reason for the development is the weather. Especially the generation of electricity from wind power collapsed. “The main cause of the decline was an exceptionally wind -armed first quarter,” explain the statisticians.
Nevertheless, according to the data in early 2025, as in previous years, Windkraft was the most important energy source for electricity generation in Germany. This time their share of the entire domestic electricity mix was 27.8 percent, in the previous year it was 38.5 percent.
Compensation through the operation of conventional power plants
The reduced electricity generation from renewable energy sources predominantly equalized the operation of conventional power plants. At the beginning of this year, the coal landed in second place in the most important energy sources and with 27.0 percent (Q1 2024: 23.0) just behind the wind power. Natural gas was in third place with 20.6 percent (Q1 2024: 15.8).
Only then will further renewable energies follow: the proportion of photovoltaics, i.e. energy generation from sunlight, this time was 9.2 percent. However, in contrast to the wind power content, it had increased significantly compared to the previous year’s quarter (Q1 2024: 6.7). The biogas share stagnated (Q1 2025: 6.1 percent / Q1 2024: 6.0 percent).
dpa
Source: Stern
