Study: EU electricity demand rebounds without more emissions

An energy think tank says electricity demand in the European Union has returned to pre-pandemic levels without a corresponding rise in emissions

BERLIN -- Electricity demand in the European Union has returned to pre-pandemic levels without a corresponding rise in emissions, according to a report published Wednesday by the energy think tank Ember. An analysis of data from grid operators showed that electricity demand in the EU during the first half of 2021 almost matched the demand in the same six-month period two years earlier, the report said. However, renewable sources accounted for significantly more electricity generated in the first six months of this year compared with the first half of 2019, while power from fossil fuels declined since before the pandemic, the think tank found. This resulted in the EU power sector producing 12% fewer greenhouse gas emissions over the two-year period, Ember said.