Historic Milestone: Poland’s Renewable Energy Surpasses Coal In Power Generation

Poland has shattered a decades-old energy paradigm. For the first time in its history, coal provided less than half of the nation’s electricity, dropping to 49.4% in April 2025. Let that sink in. The former Eastern Bloc country, notorious for its coal addiction, finally crossed the clean energy Rubicon.

Renewables seized the moment with a record-breaking 4.5 TWh of generation. Solar power did the heavy lifting, surging 32.4% year-on-year and making up 42.1% of all renewable output. Wind energy contributed 37.2%, though it actually fell by 20.5% compared to last year. Not exactly a stellar performance from the turbines, but hey, the sun picked up the slack.

Renewables surged with solar leading the charge while wind power took a backseat in Poland’s energy revolution.

Coal’s downfall was steep – nearly 19% lower than just a month earlier in March. That’s not a gentle decline. That’s a nosedive. Meanwhile, natural gas jumped 44.2% year-on-year, stepping in as renewables‘ trusty sidekick.

The shift becomes even more remarkable when you look back. Ten years ago, coal dominated with 82.5% of the mix while renewables managed a paltry 12.9%. Even in January 2025, coal still commanded 58.9% of power generation. Progress happens slowly until suddenly it doesn’t.

Government support is finally materializing. Upcoming renewable energy auctions scheduled for July 2025 target a whopping 75.9 TWh of green electricity, backed by over PLN 31 billion in investment. Better late than never, Poland.

Challenges remain abundant. Poland’s renewable journey started later than most EU nations. The country still lags behind Western European standards and faces infrastructure gaps and aging coal plants. Brown coal generation hit record low levels of 2.5 TWh, representing a dramatic 16.8% decline from the previous month.

And let’s be honest – coal remains the single largest energy source despite this milestone. This represents a significant shift considering coal constituted 70.7% of electricity production in Poland just a few years ago in 2022. The nation still needs major grid upgrades to fully accommodate the growing share of intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar.

Still, this represents a pivotal moment for a nation whose identity has been intertwined with coal for generations. Poland’s energy transformation matters beyond its borders too, serving as a test case for coal-dependent economies worldwide and influencing investment flows across the region.