In 2019, Malta was at the bottom of the table in terms of the share of electricity coming from renewable energy, mustering only a measly 8% when compared to the average 34% of the EU, a Eurostat statistic shows.

Compared to the previous year, this is slightly higher than in 2018, where there was a 7.7% share of electricity produced from renewable energy.

Topping the charts among the EU Member States, Austria (75%) and Sweden (71%) had more than 70% of electricity consumed in 2019 which was generated from renewable sources.

At the other end of the scale, the share of electricity from renewable sources was 10% or less in Malta (8%), Cyprus, Luxembourg and Hungary (all 10%). 

Meanwhile, in all of Europe, wind and hydropower accounted for over two-thirds of the total electricity generated from renewable sources (35% each). The remaining electricity generated was from solar power (13%), solid biofuels (8%) and other renewable sources (9%). Solar power is the fastest-growing source: in 2008, it accounted for 1%.

Becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 is the objective behind the European Green Deal. The use of renewable energy has many potential benefits, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the diversification of energy supplies and a reduced dependency on fossil fuel markets (in particular, oil and gas).