Renewables have recently faced mounting opposition<\/a> from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and the current coalition government<\/a> has been trying to develop new gas-power plants.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, Carbon Brief analysis of Energy Institute data<\/a> \u2013 shown in the chart below \u2013 illustrates how wind and solar have continued growing, emerging as the nation\u2019s largest power source.<\/p>\n The success of renewables in Germany mirrors the EU as a whole, which also saw wind and solar overtake<\/a> fossil-fuel power generation in 2025 for the first time.<\/p>\n Germany has various targets<\/a> in place that require a rapid expansion of wind and solar power, including cutting economy-wide emissions to net-zero by 2045.\u00a0<\/p>\n The nation is also aiming to increase renewables\u2019 share of electricity consumption to 80% by 2030 to achieve a \u201clargely climate neutral<\/a>\u201d power system by 2035. <\/p>\n Despite Germany\u2019s rapid decline in coal power generation, the nation still relies far more on coal than most other European countries. It aims to decarbonise its electricity entirely once coal power has been phased out, which has a deadline of \u201cno later than<\/a>\u201d 2038.<\/p>\n (The renewables targets also include electricity generated from hydropower and bioenergy<\/a>. The latter produces a relatively large share of Germany\u2019s power \u2013 roughly a tenth<\/a> in 2025.)<\/p>\n Germany has to rely on renewables more than neighbours, such as France and the UK, to achieve its climate goals. This is due to its phaseout of nuclear power, which is a key part of the \u201cEnergiewende<\/a>\u201d strategy.<\/p>\n Nuclear power has long faced widespread public opposition in Germany. This year, the centre-right chancellor Friedrich Merz described<\/a> the nuclear phaseout as a \u201cstrategic mistake\u201d, but the government has ruled out<\/a> a return to conventional nuclear power.<\/p>\n The country has an official coal phaseout date of 2038, but experts say<\/a> the country is on track to eliminate coal from its power supply years earlier. This is despite some pressure<\/a> to temporarily slow the transition away from coal during the recent energy crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Very few outside the AfD are calling<\/a> to scrap the coal phaseout altogether, but the government will publish a review of the timelines in August.)<\/p>\n While coal generation has fallen quickly, even as nuclear was being phased out, some argue<\/a> that coal could have been cut more quickly if nuclear had remained.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gas-power expansion has also been framed<\/a> by the government in recent years as an essential component of Germany\u2019s transition away from coal and nuclear power, to support a renewables-heavy grid.<\/p>\n The current government under Merz has tried<\/a> to boost gas and recently adopted<\/a> a law to provide state support for new gas-fired power plants. The plan<\/a> is for these plants to be converted to run on \u201cgreen hydrogen<\/a>\u201d by 2045, in order to meet the climate-neutrality goal.<\/p>\n Germany aims<\/a> to install 115 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind by 2030 and approved a record 20.8GW of new capacity in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, solar generation has reached<\/a> unprecedented levels during the hot summer of 2026.<\/p>\n However, the government\u2019s planned grid reforms<\/a> have been criticised by the renewables industry for risking slowing down the energy transition. Under the proposals, renewables developers would only be granted automatic grid connections in areas with limited grid capacity if they waive compensation for future curtailed<\/a> generation.<\/p>\n Q&A: What does China\u2019s 15th \u2018five-year plan\u2019 for renewables mean for climate change? <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Interview: COP31 president says electrification is \u2018surest way to protect citizens\u2019 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Six charts show how clean power was world\u2019s largest source of new energy in 2025 <\/p>\n![\"Wind](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wind-and-solar-gener-1-1024x665.png\")
\u201cOther renewables\u201d includes hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal and other renewable sources not otherwise stated. Source: Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy, 2026<\/a>. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2RPFB42-768x512.jpg\")
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