Historic June on the European Energy Market: Solar Power Breaks Records as Poland Catches Up with the Leaders

June 2026 will go down in the history of European energy as an unprecedented moment. For the first time ever, solar power supplied as much as one quarter of all electricity generated across the European Union. In this major technological race, Poland is emerging as one of the most important players, standing shoulder to shoulder with Germany and Spain.

According to the latest analyses by the think tank Ember, EU solar generation reached a record level of 52 TWh in June. The sun thus became the single largest source of electricity in the EU, surpassing nuclear power (21%), gas (15%), wind (14%), hydropower (12%), and coal, whose share fell to just 8%. For comparison, in June 2021 solar accounted for only 10% of the EU mix.

From Coal to a Solar Eldorado

Poland, traditionally seen as a bastion of coal‑based energy, is now undergoing one of the fastest solar transformations on the continent. In June 2026, as much as 24% of the country’s electricity came from the sun.

This rapid growth is the result of massive investments in recent years:

• 2021 – only 2 GW of installed solar capacity.
• 2025 – Poland’s PV capacity increased more than tenfold, reaching an impressive 23 GW.

A green breakthrough on the Vistula became a fact already in June 2025, when — according to Forum Energii — renewable energy sources produced more electricity than hard coal and lignite for the first time in history (RES accounted for 44.1% of generation, while coal for 43.7%).

Although the solar boom continues, experts point to serious systemic barriers. The biggest obstacle remains the slow development of onshore wind power. As emphasized by Dr. Maria Niewierko from Forum Energii, the 2016 blockade on onshore wind farm development — despite partial liberalization two years ago — still significantly hampers full balancing of Poland’s energy mix.

Germany and Spain Set the Pace

While Poland is catching up with the leaders, the long‑standing champions of the EU market are setting new standards of efficiency and energy independence.

In Spain, solar power covered 34% of electricity demand in June. Since 2019, the country has doubled its wind and solar capacity, adding more than 40 GW. This determination brings direct benefits to citizens — since the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz in March, electricity bills for Spanish households have fallen by an average of 10 euros per month, while prices in other EU countries have risen. Symbolically, in August 2025 Spain did not use coal for electricity generation even for a moment.

Among Poland’s western neighbors, the sun generated as much as 36% of electricity in June. In addition to Europe’s largest solar farm (built on the site of a former coal mine), the driving force behind the change is the citizens themselves. Between 2022 and 2025, Germans installed over one million balcony micro‑PV systems. With current prices around 200 euros per set, the investment pays back in 2 to 6 years, and mass adoption of home battery storage helps stabilize the grid during evening peak hours.