Germany's Electricity Production Declines by 3.6% in 2024

The Federal Statistical Office of Germany has reported a 3.6% decrease in electricity production for the year 2024 compared to the previous year. The total electricity generated and fed into the grid amounted to 431.5 billion kilowatt-hours. This decline is attributed primarily to a reduction in industrial production due to economic slowdowns and increased electricity imports.

In 2024, renewable energy sources accounted for 59.4% of the electricity generated domestically, marking a significant increase of 2.3% to 256.4 billion kilowatt-hours, setting a new record. This represents an improvement from the 56.0% share of renewables in 2023. Wind energy remained the leading source, with its contribution rising from 30.8% to 31.5%. Additionally, solar energy reached a historic high of 13.8%.

On the other hand, electricity production from conventional energy sources dropped by 11.0%, totaling 175.1 billion kilowatt-hours, which constituted 40.6% of the total production. The notable decrease in coal-generated electricity was offset by an increase in natural gas usage. Following the shutdown of Germany's last nuclear power plants on April 15, 2023, there has been no domestic electricity generation from nuclear energy, which had already accounted for only 1.5% of the total in 2023.

Furthermore, the amount of electricity imported into Germany surged by 17.9% to 81.7 billion kilowatt-hours in 2024, while the electricity exported decreased by 7.8% to 55.4 billion kilowatt-hours. As a result, Germany has experienced a net electricity import for the second consecutive year, with the import surplus nearly tripling to 26.3 billion kilowatt-hours.