According to monthly data published by Ember, the EU took a small step back in its electricity transition in April, as fossil fuels recorded a modest increase compared to the same period last year.

Coal’s share of the EU power mix increased from 8.67% in April 2024 to 9.12% last month. Meanwhile, gas accounted for 13.54%, up from 12.12% a year earlier. Gas narrowly surpassed hydro at 13.03%, but was overtaken by nuclear (22.46%), solar (18.03%), and wind (15.7%).

Monthly data also showed that power generation in the EU was more carbon-intensive. In April 2025, energy-related emissions rose to 36.44 MtCO₂, an increase of almost 9% or 3.06 MtCO₂ compared to April 2024, leading to higher demand for EUAs.

In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, power generation from clean energy sources dropped by 16% during the first four months of 2025, marking the lowest share recorded since at least 2015, according to Reuters, also citing data from Ember.

The reduction in clean energy generation was mainly due to a significant drop in wind power production. The share of wind energy fell to just 24% between January and April this year, compared to 34% recorded during the same period last year.