Wind blows light out of coal in Germany

Germany said wind power outpaced coal-fired generation last year, underscoring the country’s accelerating transition away from fossil fuels.

Wind accounted for 31% of electricity production, becoming the biggest source of supply, Federal Statistical Office data showed Thursday. That followed a push by the government to remove permitting barriers, getting projects online faster.

Clean energy sources made up 56% of generation last year.A year earlier, a third of Germany’s power was still produced by coal and only a quarter by wind. The country targets 80% green power by the end of the decade.

Beyond new generation capacity and strong winds, the results reflect the country’s economic slowdown. Total power generation dropped 12% as energy-intensive industries scaled back operations to contain costs. Germany also imported more electricity than it exported for the first time.

The data also show the limits of the country’s efforts to expand solar energy. While about 14 gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity were added, solar output fell 1.3% amid cloudier weather.