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Over ** percent of the gross electricity generated in Germany in 2024 came from renewable sources, with wind power being the most prominent. However, the country is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels for domestic power production. In 2024, over ** percent of gross electricity was generated using lignite and hard coal, considered the most polluting of energy sources. Natural gas contributed another *** percent.

Coal power plant pollution

Coal plants are the biggest polluters in the European Union. Six out of the ** most polluting coal-fired power plants in the EU were located in Germany in 2022. Germany's Neurath plant produced some ** million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent that year. Although the government had previously agreed to end its reliance on coal by the year 2030, this fossil fuel made a comeback in 2022 during the global energy crisis. 

Germany's move towards renewables

Despite coal's continued contribution to the power mix, Germany's renewable electricity generation has increased by roughly ** percent in one decade. Growth within the wind power sector has been especially notable. By 2022, onshore wind farms generated almost 100 terawatt-hours of electricity, while offshore farms produced an additional ** terawatt-hours.