Review of the European Power Sector in 2015

The European power sector saw a record increase in renewables generation in 2015, yet CO2 emissions fell by only an estimated 0.5% due to offsetting increases in coal generation in several countries and a rebound in electricity demand. While the UK experienced a collapse in coal generation, this was countered by growth in the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland. The report forecasts a further 21% drop in EU ETS emissions from 2014 to 2020, suggesting the EU is on track to surpass its 20% economy-wide CO2 cut target.

• European renewable generation experienced a record increase of 87TWh in 2015, which represents 2.5% of European electricity demand. This growth was heavily concentrated in three countries: Germany, the UK, and Italy.
• Despite the growth in renewables, power sector CO2 emissions are estimated to have fallen by only 0.5% (5Mt) in 2015, following a much larger 7.5% decrease in 2014.
• The decline in UK coal generation was offset by increases in coal generation in the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland. In the Netherlands, coal generation is estimated to have increased by 11TWh due to 3200MW of new coal plants coming online.
• European electricity demand rose by approximately 1.1% in 2015, rebounding from a fall of at least 2.3% in 2014. This was largely driven by a return to normal temperatures after a record mild 2014, though an intense heatwave in July increased demand in Italy and Spain.
• The report maintains a forecast that EU ETS stationary emissions will fall by 21% from 2014 to 2020, which would align with a 30% economy-wide CO2 reduction, exceeding the EU's 20% target.
• Lignite generation has remained stagnant since 2010, and the majority of the decline in conventional generation since 2010 has been driven by gas rather than hard coal.

APA

Jones, D. (2016). Review of the European Power Sector in 2015. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2020/03/Sandbag_2015_Review_of_Euro_Power_Sector.pdf

Chicago

Jones, David. Review of the European Power Sector in 2015. Ember, 2016. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2020/03/Sandbag_2015_Review_of_Euro_Power_Sector.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jones |first1=David |title=Review of the European Power Sector in 2015 |publisher=Ember |date=19 January 2016 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2020/03/Sandbag_2015_Review_of_Euro_Power_Sector.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jones2016review, author = {Jones, David}, title = {{Review of the European Power Sector in 2015}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2020/03/Sandbag_2015_Review_of_Euro_Power_Sector.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }