LONDON (Reuters): According to industry association WindEurope, wind power accounted for 20% of Europe's electricity consumption last year, but the capacity installed during that time was less than half of what is required to satisfy the EU's 2030 energy and climate targets.LONDON (Reuters): According to industry association WindEurope, wind power accounted for 20% of Europe's electricity consumption last year, but the capacity installed during that time was less than half of what is required to satisfy the EU's 2030 energy and climate targets.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

For more than 20 years, wind has been a rising source of electricity in Europe. The European Union wants wind to increase even more in order to fulfill climate change targets and to lessen dependency on fossil fuels.

BY THE NUMBERS

According to preliminary 2024 data from WindEurope, Europe installed 15 gigawatts (GW) of new wind energy last year, comprising around 2 GW of onshore wind and 13 GW of offshore wind.

Thirteen GW of this came from EU countries, but the 27-nation group should be constructing 30 GW of new wind farms annually to meet its 2030 climate ambitions.
By 2030, 34% of the electricity used in the EU is expected to come from wind power, and by 2050, over 50%.

CONTEXT

Permit delays, increased component costs, infrastructure, grid connection, and logistical problems have made the past few years difficult for the worldwide offshore wind business in particular.

According to WindEurope, offshore wind investments in Europe have decreased, and businesses continue to face difficulties when making final investment decisions.

KEY QUOTES

"Not enough new wind farms are being constructed in Europe. The chief executive of WindEurope, Giles Dickson, stated, "for three main reasons: a) most governments are not applying the good EU permitting rules; b) new grid connections are delayed; and c) Europe is not electrifying its economy quickly enough."