"BERLIN. After a setback early last year, renewable energy sources have recovered, according to new figures. However, wind and solar power continue to dominate only the electricity supply, not the overall energy supply—which includes transport, industry, and heat generation. While renewables account for more than half of electricity generation, they make up only around one-fifth of primary energy consumption.
Another limitation is that solar, wind, and hydroelectric power depend on weather, precipitation, and the time of day, making them difficult to predict. Sufficient dispatchable capacity—mostly from fossil fuels—must always be kept in reserve to ensure a reliable supply and grid stability at all times.
In the first quarter of 2026, renewable energy sources covered 53 percent of Germany's electricity consumption—six percentage points higher than in the same period the previous year. The remainder came primarily from natural gas, lignite, and hard coal. These figures are based on preliminary calculations by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) and the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW). The industry is celebrating this achievement, yet the share has previously been higher, as shown by earlier publications from the same organizations.
In the first quarter of 2024—two years ago—renewable energy sources accounted for 56 percent of German electricity consumption. That was three percentage points higher than the current figure, despite the significant expansion of green electricity capacity since then. The sharp drop to just 47 percent between 2024 and 2025 was caused by unfavorable wind conditions at the time, highlighting the volatility inherent in this type of generation. Weather continues to play a role today; for instance, the electricity generation from photovoltaics [fell] by five percent in the first quarter of 2026, as the start of the year was less sunny than in 2025. Meanwhile, hydroelectric power generation dropped by 21 percent due to low precipitation levels.
According to the data, total domestic electricity consumption rose by approximately 1.2 percent to 137.6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) during the first three months of this year. The growth in green electricity was more pronounced, increasing by 13.4 percent to 73.4 billion kWh. Onshore wind farms made the largest contribution to this total, accounting for 24.5 percent—nearly a quarter. They were followed by photovoltaics (9.6 percent) and biomass (7.8 percent), with the more expensive offshore wind farms coming in at seven percent. Hydropower brought up the rear at 2.4 percent.
Generation from conventional energy sources did decline, though only by 1.9 percent, falling to 67.2 billion kWh. Natural gas remains the primary fossil-fuel source for electricity, ahead of lignite and hard coal. Nevertheless, the last coal-fired power plants in western Germany are scheduled to go offline in just four years—by 2030—with those in the east of the country following suit eight years later. At the same time, however, new gas-fired plants are being built to ensure reliable power supply. Nuclear energy is no longer available; the last German reactors were taken off the grid almost exactly three years ago. Yet Germany continues to import nuclear power, primarily from France. Consequently, it cannot be said that nuclear energy is no longer utilized in the country.
Data on primary energy consumption for the current year is not yet available. This metric represents the total amount of energy across all areas of application, encompassing not only end-user consumption but also the energy used during conversion and transport. Last year, according to figures from the BDEW, renewable energy sources accounted for 20.8 percent of primary energy consumption. That was far less than the contribution that of natural gas at 26.8 percent, and certainly that of mineral oil at 35.7 percent. Hard coal and lignite combined accounted for 14.2 percent. While renewables grew by 2.6 percent compared to 2024, the significance of coal and oil declined simultaneously. However, natural gas consumption rose by 2.9 percent—an even stronger increase than that of renewables.
Overall dependence on imports therefore remains high. From the industry's perspective, this is precisely why the expansion of renewables should continue. BDEW Chairwoman Kerstin Andreae notes that the high share of green electricity is beneficial for climate protection. "But in the current geopolitical climate, it is at least as important that renewable energies strengthen Germany's security of supply, resilience, and strategic sovereignty." Times of international crisis clearly demonstrate that "renewables make a significant contribution to reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports." However, as the figures show, they are still far from sufficient to meet total energy consumption needs. (Further reports on energy topics, page 22.)” [1]
1. Die erneuerbare Energien sind schwächer als ihr Ruf: Der Ökostromanteil steigt, war aber schon höher / Im Primärenergieverbrauch bleiben fossile Träger dominant. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; Frankfurt. 02 Apr 2026: 19.
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