In April 2023 Germany completed its energy transition process and removed from the grid the last three operating nuclear power plants — Isar 2, Emsland and Neckarwestheim 2. It was in a strategy to move towards renewable sources and reduce dependency on nuclear power.
However, the nuclear power plants were shut down synchronously with an energy crisis precipitated by the decline in natural gas deliveries to Europe as a result of the eruption of war in Ukraine in 2022. This therefore forced Germany to compensate for the energy gap, which caused an increased usage of coal, one of the dirtiest fuels.
In 2024 59 % of electricity was generated from renewable energy. In the winter season, especially in December, the generation of renewable energy fell to 18%, requiring increased production from coal and gas-fired power plants and the import of electricity from other countries.
The output of wind farms fell dramatically due to insufficient wind. According to Bloomberg, in early February 2025, wind turbines generated 5 gigawatts of electricity, which is record low. In comparison, in December 2023 the peak value of 53 gigawatts was recorded. In compensation for the shortcoming, the output from coal plants increased to 8.1 gigawatts, a record high since February 2024.
In addition, German authorities cancelled more than 1,000 wind turbine plans in January 2025, calling into doubt whether wind power can contribute to an increasing proportion of the country’s energy mix rapidly. According to Morgan Stanley analysts, Germany is often forced to use both gas and coal-fired power plants during periods of low wind potential, which calls into doubt ambitious plans to fully decarbonise the energy system by 2038.
