The European Union saw a record-amount of solar power generation this summer, saving the continent from even higher reliance on expensive fossil fuels amid the worst energy crisis in decades.
Solar panels produced about 12% of the EU’s electricity from May to August, power that would have cost as much as 29 billion euros ($28.9 billion) had it been produced by natural gas-burning plants, according to analysis from climate think-tank Ember. The figures underscore the crucial role that renewable energy sources will play in Europe’s efforts to cut reliance on imported and polluting fuels in the coming months and years.