Solar buoyed Europe’s grid amid record-breaking heat and drought this summer

Record heat and drought across Europe this summer strained the continent's power grid: wind output stalled under stagnant heatwave air, and nuclear, gas, and coal plants had to cut output as warming, shrinking rivers reduced cooling water. France lost 18 percent of its nuclear capacity to 'environmental factors' in mid-July alone, according to energy think tank Ember.

Solar was the exception, producing 17 percent more power than usual during the heatwaves, with batteries helping carry that power into evening hours when demand stayed high after sunset. Demand spiked sharply — up 28 percent in Italy and 14 percent in France during late June's peak heat — while rivers like the Danube hit record lows, exposing old shipwrecks and dropping hydropower to a decade low.

France's state utility plans to spend over $10 billion adapting nuclear and hydro plants to warmer, drier conditions over 15 years, while solar and battery installations continue rapid growth. Analysts framed the summer as a signal for regulatory changes to boost grid flexibility, particularly around the evening demand gap solar can't cover alone.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.