
-
Five potential Grand National fairytale endings
-
Trump purges national security team after meeting conspiracist
-
More work for McIlroy even with two wins before Masters
-
Trump hopeful of 'great' PGA-LIV golf merger
-
No.1 Scheffler goes for third Masters crown in four years
-
Where Trump's tariffs could hurt Americans' wallets
-
Trump says 'very close to a deal' on TikTok
-
Trump tariffs on Mexico: the good, the bad, the unknown
-
Postecoglou denies taunting Spurs fans in Chelsea defeat
-
Oscar-winning Palestinian director speaks at UN on Israeli settlements
-
With tariff war, Trump also reshapes how US treats allies
-
Fernandez fires Chelsea into fourth as pressure mounts on Postecoglou
-
South Korea court to decide impeached president's fate
-
Penguin memes take flight after Trump tariffs remote island
-
E.T., no home: Original model of movie alien doesn't sell at auction
-
Italy's Brignone has surgery on broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Trump defiant as tariffs send world markets into panic
-
City officials vote to repair roof on home of MLB Rays
-
Rockets forward Brooks gets one-game NBA ban for technicals
-
Pentagon watchdog to probe defense chief over Signal chat row
-
US tariffs could push up inflation, slow growth: Fed official
-
New Bruce Springsteen music set for June 27 release
-
Tom Cruise pays tribute to Val Kilmer
-
Mexico president welcomes being left off Trump's tariffs list
-
Zuckerberg repeats Trump visits in bid to settle antitrust case
-
US fencer disqualified for not facing transgender rival
-
'Everyone worried' by Trump tariffs in France's champagne region
-
Italy's Brignone suffers broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Iyer blitz powers Kolkata to big IPL win over Hyderabad
-
Russian soprano Netrebko to return to London's Royal Opera House
-
French creche worker gets 25 years for killing baby with drain cleaner
-
UK avoids worst US tariffs post-Brexit, but no celebrations
-
Canada imposing 25% tariff on some US auto imports
-
Ruud wants 'fair share' of Grand Slam revenue for players
-
Lesotho, Africa's 'kingdom in the sky' jolted by Trump
-
Trump's trade math baffles economists
-
Gaza heritage and destruction on display in Paris
-
'Unprecedented crisis' in Africa healthcare: report
-
Pogacar gunning for blood and thunder in Tour of Flanders
-
Macron calls for suspension of investment in US until tariffs clarified
-
Wall St leads rout as world reels from Trump tariffs
-
Mullins gets perfect National boost with remarkable four-timer
-
Trump tariffs hammer global stocks, dollar and oil
-
Authors hold London protest against Meta for 'stealing' work to train AI
-
Tate Modern gifted 'extraordinary' work by US artist Joan Mitchell
-
Mexico president welcomes being left off Trump's new tariffs list
-
Tonali eager to lead Newcastle back into Champions League
-
Lesotho hardest hit as new US tariffs rattle Africa
-
Stellantis pausing some Canada, Mexico production over Trump auto tariffs
-
Rising odds asteroid that briefly threatened Earth will hit Moon

Solar power surpasses coal in EU for first time
Solar overtook coal in the European Union's electricity production in 2024, with the share of renewables rising to almost half the bloc's power sector, according to a report released Thursday.
Gas generation, meanwhile, declined for the fifth year in a row and fossil-fuelled power dipped to a "historic low", climate think tank Ember said in its European Electricity Review 2025.
"The European Green Deal has delivered a deep and rapid transformation of the EU power sector," the think tank said.
"Solar remained the EU's fastest-growing power source in 2024, rising above coal for the first time. Wind power remained the EU's second-largest power source, above gas and below nuclear."
Overall, strong growth in solar and wind have boosted the share of renewables to 47 percent, up from 34 percent in 2019.
Fossil fuels have fallen from 39 to 29 percent.
"A surge in wind and solar generation is the main reason for declining fossil generation. Without wind and solar capacity added since 2019, the EU would have imported 92 billion cubic metres more of fossil gas and 55 million tonnes more of hard coal, costing €59 billion," the report said.
According to Ember, these trends are widespread across Europe, with solar power progressing in all EU countries.
More than half have now either eliminated coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, or reduced its share to less than five percent of their energy mix.
"Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy," said Chris Rosslowe, lead author of the report.
"At the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought the EU's energy transition would be where it is today: wind and solar are relegating coal to the margins and pushing gas into decline."
- Battery storage -
But Rosslowe cautioned much work remains.
"We need to accelerate our efforts, particularly in the wind power sector," he said.
Europe's electricity system will also need to increase its storage capacity to make the most of renewable energies, which are by definition intermittent, he added.
In 2024, plentiful solar energy helped drive down prices in the middle of the day, sometimes even resulting in "negative or zero price hours" due to an overabundance of supply compared to demand.
"A readily available solution is a battery co-located with a solar plant. This gives solar power producers more control over the prices they receive and helps them avoid selling for low prices in the middle of the day," the report said.
The think tank suggested consumers could reduce their bills by shifting usage to periods of abundance (smart electrification), while battery operators could earn revenue from buying power when prices are low and selling it back when demand peaks.
Batteries have advanced significantly in recent years, with installed capacity across the EU doubling to 16 GW in 2023, compared with 8 GW in 2022, according to Ember.
But this capacity is concentrated in just a small number of countries: 70 percent of existing batteries were located in Germany and Italy at the end of 2023.
"More storage and demand flexibility is needed to sustain growth and for consumers to reap the full benefits of abundant solar," Ember said.
"After a challenging few years for the wind power sector, additions are set to grow, but not by enough to hit EU targets. Closing this gap will require continued policy implementation and political support, such that the rate of additions between now and 2030 is more than double that of recent years."
D.Johnson--AT