Europe hits a clean energy tipping point
For the first time, wind turbines and solar panels have generated more of the European Union's electricity than fossil fuels, a tipping point energy analysts once pencilled in for the 2030s. Plummeting solar costs, a boom in offshore wind and a push for energy independence across the continent brought the milestone forward years ahead of schedule, while coal power has fallen to record lows.
The shift means cleaner air in European cities, lower carbon emissions and downward pressure on power bills. Sunshine and wind don't send invoices. And Europe's tipping point is a preview, not an exception: the same economics are at work everywhere, including in Australia, where rooftop solar already supplies more household power than anywhere else on Earth.