Fossil Fuel Use for Electricity Nearly Halves in Eight Years

Germany has nearly halved its fossil fuel use for electricity generation since 2018, and renewables now supply almost 60% of the country’s electricity.

“A clear change becomes visible in the long-term trend of domestic electricity production,” said Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), highlighting the shift towards cleaner energy sources.

Electricity generation from fossil fuels fell from 174.6 billion kilowatt-hours in the first half of 2018 to 94.2 billion in the same period of 2026, while renewable electricity output increased by around 25%. Renewables accounted for 59.1% of electricity production in the first six months of 2026, with wind power remaining the largest single source at 29.4%, followed by coal at 21.4% and solar at 17.8%. Wind generation rose 12.3% from the previous year to 67.7 billion kilowatt-hours. Renewables generated more electricity than fossil fuels in five of the first six months, marking continued progress toward Germany’s planned coal phase-out by 2038.