29 July 2025
Lessons from Europe’s coal power collapse
By Alexandru Mustață, Campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels.
Across Europe, coal power is on its last legs. Most European countries committed to phasing out one of the dirtiest fossil fuels from their power sectors over the past decade. Now those commitments are starting to materialise. The summer of 2025 marks a historic moment: two of Europe’s largest economies, Italy and Spain, are preparing to end coal power generation on the mainland, following closely on the heels of Ireland’s coal exit in June and the UK’s in 2024.
These closures are not isolated events. They are part of a broader transformation already reshaping the European energy landscape from fossil fuels to renewables-based. Coal generation has plummeted by more than 55% in just ten years. Wind and solar now produce nearly 50% more electricity than coal. Fifteen European countries already operate without coal in their power systems. Five more, including Italy and Spain, generate less than 3% of their electricity from coal and are rapidly moving toward zero.
This is what a successful transition looks like: steady, deliberate, and rooted in political commitment, public demand, and economic reality.
Italy: The Final Shutdowns on the Mainland
Italy is set to shut its last two mainland coal plants, Brindisi Sud and Torrevaldaliga Nord, this summer. Since the government’s coal phase-out decision in 2017, generation from coal has fallen by 85%, and the country has shuttered 14 coal units totalling 4.2 GW. Coal’s share of the electricity mix has dropped from 11% in 2017 to just 1.7% in 2024.
The success, however, is bittersweet. The government is considering placing both plants in “strategic reserve,” meaning they remain available for emergencies due to lingering concerns over gas price volatility. This decision doesn’t reflect a technical necessity, but rather a failure to tap into Italy’s enormous clean energy potential. More than 600 GW of renewable and storage projects are currently still waiting in line for grid connection.
Spain: A Near-Complete Coal Exit
Spain is similarly on the cusp of a coal-free power system on the mainland. Coal operations are expected to cease at the largest remaining coal plant, Aboño, unfortunately by converting one unit to fossil gas and thus prolong fossil fuel reliance. The other two units on peninsular Spain, Soto de Ribera and Los Barrios, are minimally used and also scheduled to retire this year. Once closed, coal will vanish from mainland Spain, with only one small plant on the Balearic Islands allowed to operate no more than 500 hours per year, or 6% of the time.
Spain’s coal phase-out has been nothing short of remarkable. Coal generation has dropped by 97% since the early 2000s, and the country has shut down a whopping 41 coal units totalling 11.3 GW. Its emissions from coal power have fallen by over 92% since 2016.
But replacing fossil fuels with renewables is only part of the equation. The recent power outage on the Iberian Peninsula exposed the need to modernise the grid, making it clean and flexible. Both the Spanish government and the grid operator confirmed it was caused not by high volumes of renewables, as had been falsely speculated in the early days, but by poor grid planning. These findings underline the need for investment in flexibility, not more fossil fuels.
Climate, Cost, and Energy Security
The climate case for phasing out coal is undeniable. Between 2015 and 2024, emissions from coal power fell by 89% in Italy and 95% in Spain. These drops contributed significantly to a 40% reduction in Europe’s power sector emissions overall during the same period.
But climate is not the only driver. High operating costs, public demand for clean air, and soaring fossil fuel prices have also pushed coal aside. In Italy, dependence on imported fossil gas has made electricity prices among the highest in Europe. Replacing fossil gas with homegrown wind, solar, and batteries is now essential: not just for emissions, but for affordability.
Energy security, too, demands clean solutions. The remaining coal plants in Italy and Spain, whether on islands or kept in strategic reserve, are clinging to life because of insufficient system flexibility and local renewables, not because coal is the best alternative. True energy security will come from unblocking grid access for clean energy and investing in smart flexibility: storage, demand response, and modern infrastructure.
A Signal to the World
Europe’s coal collapse shows what’s possible with political will and public pressure. Countries are not simply reducing coal: they are eliminating it. This isn’t theoretical. It’s measurable, and it’s happening now.
For policymakers around the world, Europe offers a model which is far from perfect, but has been effective for getting rid of one fossil fuel. So far, Italy and Spain prove that even the dirtiest part of the power system can be replaced, and that doing so strengthens climate ambition, economic resilience, and energy independence. Using this experience, European governments need to completely decarbonise their power sector, align it with their climate commitments and abandon harmful fossil gas projects just as they did with coal.