Wind Power in Germany Rises by 27 Percent in Q1 2026 - Electricity Prices Drop

Wind Power in Germany Rises by 27 Percent in Q1 2026 - Electricity Prices Drop
© Christian Schwier / Adobe StockMünster (renewablepress) - Wind energy in Germany saw strong growth at the beginning of 2026: In the first quarter, electricity generation from wind turbines increased by 27.4 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 42.8 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) (Q1 2025: 33.6 billion kWh).

This is shown by a recent analysis of data from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) conducted by the Internationales Wirtschaftsforum Regenerative Energien (IWR) in Münster.

Both onshore and offshore wind power production recorded significant gains. Onshore plants increased their electricity fed into the grid by 23.1 percent to 33.1 billion kWh (Q1 2025: 26.9 billion kWh). Offshore wind energy developed even more dynamically: here, electricity generation climbed by 44.8 percent to 9.7 billion kWh (Q1 2025: 6.7 billion kWh).

The main drivers of this development were the strong expansion of new wind turbines in 2025, with a net increase of over 5,000 megawatts, as well as overall more favorable wind conditions in the first quarter of 2026.

The expansion of wind energy also had a noticeable impact on electricity prices in Germany: average stock exchange electricity prices fell to 10.2 cents per kWh from January to March (previous year: 11.2 cents per kWh), corresponding to a decrease of 8.9 percent.

“The sharp increase in wind power generation has significantly eased the electricity market. Without this growth, Germany would have had to rely more heavily on comparatively expensive gas-fired power plants - with correspondingly higher stock exchange electricity prices,” said IWR CEO Dr. Norbert Allnoch.


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Caption: Wind Power in Germany Rises by 27 Percent in Q1 2026 - Electricity Prices Drop
© Christian Schwier / Adobe Stock


Münster, 01 April 2026


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