site.btaFossil Fuel Energy Production in EU Decresaes in First Half of 2023, Decrese of over 30% Reported in Bulgaria

The use of fossil fuels for energy production in the EU went down by 17% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, shows a study by the Ember Energy Institute published on Wednesday.

Five of the EU's 27 member countries, Bulgaria, Portugal, Austria, Estonia and Finland, reported declines of more than 30%, according to the study.
In another 11 countries, electricity generation from fossil fuels has gone down by by more than 20%.

The change is largely due to high coal and gas prices, lower demand and increased generation from renewable sources, the report said.

Energy produced by solar power increased by 13% in the EU in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, while energy produced by wind power grew by 4.8%.

However, the increase in renewable energy is not enough, said analyst Matt Ewen, noting the need for a faster replacement of fossil fuels with clean energy.