(de-news.net) – Germany’s electricity generation increased by 6.0 percent in the first quarter of 2026, driven primarily by stronger renewable output. Wind power remained the country’s leading source of electricity, while coal generation declined and natural gas posted modest growth. Higher exports and lower imports returned Germany to net electricity-exporter status for the first time since late 2023.
According to preliminary data released by the Federal Statistical Office, Germany generated and supplied 126.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to the national grid during the first quarter of 2026. This represented a year-over-year increase of 6.0 percent compared with the same period in 2025, indicating a notable expansion in overall electricity production and grid-fed supply during the opening months of the year.
Renewable energy sources accounted for 53.3 percent of total domestic electricity generation, up from 49.6 percent in the first quarter of 2025. In absolute terms, electricity production from renewable sources rose by 13.9 percent to 67.5 billion kilowatt-hours. By contrast, generation from conventional energy sources declined by 1.8 percent to 59.1 billion kilowatt-hours, reducing its contribution to the overall electricity mix to 46.7 percent. As a result, renewables strengthened their position as the dominant component of Germany’s power generation portfolio during the quarter.
Strong wind output reshapes Germany’s power mix
The increase in renewable electricity production was driven primarily by wind power. Output from wind energy climbed 28.8 percent year over year to 42.8 billion kilowatt-hours, raising its share of total domestic electricity generation to 33.8 percent. Wind therefore remained Germany’s single most important source of electricity during the period under review. The Federal Statistical Office indicated that much of the sharp annual increase reflected a comparison with an unusually wind-poor first quarter in 2025, which had depressed generation levels in the previous year. In contrast to the strong performance of wind energy, electricity generation from solar power declined by 7.4 percent to 10.3 billion kilowatt-hours, resulting in a smaller contribution to the overall power mix.
Among conventional energy sources, coal continued to rank as the second-largest contributor to electricity generation despite a year-over-year decline in output. Coal-fired generation fell by 5.1 percent to 30.5 billion kilowatt-hours, reducing its relative importance within the electricity mix. Natural gas moved in the opposite direction, with generation increasing by 3.2 percent to 25.4 billion kilowatt-hours. However, because total electricity production expanded overall, the share of natural gas in the national generation mix edged slightly lower despite the increase in absolute output.
Germany also returned to net exporter status in electricity trade for the first time since late 2023. Electricity exports rose substantially, increasing by 20.4 percent to 19.5 billion kilowatt-hours, while imports declined by 15.5 percent to 16.4 billion kilowatt-hours. The combination of higher exports and lower imports produced an export surplus of 3.1 billion kilowatt-hours over the quarter, marking a reversal from the import-dependent balance recorded in more recent periods and underscoring the stronger position of Germany’s electricity sector during the opening quarter of 2026.
Audio: TTSFree
