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Renewable Records in Southern Europe Boost Hopes Over Ditching Fossil Fuels

Solar and wind power made up a record share of Spain and Italy’s electricity last month

Photovoltaic panels installed by Sud Energies Renovables SL cover car parking areas at the Banco de Sabadell SA headquarters in Sant Cugat del Valles, Spain.

Photovoltaic panels installed by Sud Energies Renovables SL cover car parking areas at the Banco de Sabadell SA headquarters in Sant Cugat del Valles, Spain.

Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
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Spain and other Mediterranean countries generated record amounts of power from wind and solar farms last month, underscoring the potential for renewables to replace expensive fossil fuels.

For the first time ever, those clean sources accounted for 40% of Spain’s electricity in April, while the share surpassed a quarter in Italy, according to data collected by think tank Ember. Greece and Portugal also set records for solar generation, at a time when the European Union is moving to wean itself off Russian energy in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.