From September 2025 through August 2026, low-carbon sources supplied about 59% of Germany’s electricity consumption, while fossil fuels supplied roughly 39%. Wind was the largest clean source at almost a third of electricity, followed by solar at about a fifth; biofuels and hydropower each contributed around 4%. Among fossil sources, coal accounted for about 20% and gas for 16%. Net imports contributed just over 1%. Germany therefore gets more than half its electricity from low-carbon sources, but its substantial fossil-fuel share still contributes to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Germany?

Germany’s latest figures do not indicate growth relative to its historical peaks, although these comparisons alone cannot establish the latest year-on-year trend. Electricity consumption in 2026 was about 5,500 kWh per person, roughly 2,400 kWh—or 30%—below the 2008 record of about 7,900 kWh. Low-carbon electricity generation reached about 3,300 kWh per person, around 560 kWh—or 15%—below its 2019 record of approximately 3,800 kWh. These shortfalls are concerning: Germany needs growing supplies of clean electricity to support electrification and rising demand from AI and other digital infrastructure.

Suggestions

Germany should expand wind and solar, building on technologies that already supply large amounts of its electricity, while also considering new nuclear generation. Nearby Denmark demonstrates the potential of wind, which supplies about 57% of its electricity. For solar, the US states of Nevada and California offer useful examples, generating about 35% and 31% of their electricity from solar respectively. Germany can also learn from its European neighbors’ nuclear fleets: nuclear supplies roughly two-thirds of electricity in France and Slovakia, and about 41% in Czechia. These examples show how a combination of expanded wind, solar and nuclear could substantially strengthen Germany’s low-carbon electricity supply.

History

Germany’s low-carbon electricity history includes major nuclear gains followed by deeply disappointing losses. Nuclear generation rose by nearly 12 TWh in 1977, then recorded substantial annual increases in the 1980s—about 26 TWh in 1984, 34 TWh in 1985 and 15 TWh in 1988—with another 12 TWh gain in 1992. The subsequent nuclear decline was a serious setback for clean electricity: generation fell by about 27 TWh in 2007, 14 TWh in 2009 and 33 TWh in 2011, followed by losses of 14 TWh in 2020, 33 TWh in 2022 and 26 TWh in 2023. Wind delivered encouraging gains throughout the 2010s, including roughly 22 TWh in 2015 and 26 TWh in 2017; after a 16 TWh decline in 2021, it recovered with gains of about 12 TWh in 2022 and 17 TWh in 2023. Biofuels generation fell by 28 TWh in 2020, while solar’s approximately 16 TWh increase in 2025 marked a welcome step forward for clean electricity.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.