WindEurope reports 8.8 GW of new wind capacity installed across Europe in the first half of 2026, driven by Germany, as the association's new director general urges governments to stabilize permitting and auction rules.

Europe's wind industry recorded a marked acceleration in grid connections during the first half of 2026, according to data published by WindEurope, the sector's Brussels-based trade association, and reported by Reuters on September 1, 2026. The continent added 8.8 gigawatts (GW) of new wind capacity between January and June, a pace driven largely by a single market, Germany, which accounts for the majority of new installations. This progress echoes the dynamics of solar photovoltaics, a sector where China saw solar overtake coal with 1,286 GW installed, while a separate study points to a global solar operations and maintenance market reaching 348 GW. In Europe, the pace of permit issuance remains particularly strong in Germany, while several major markets, notably in Southern Europe and the United Kingdom, are seeing their permitting volumes decline.

Offshore wind accelerates as Germany consolidates its lead

The offshore segment also showed a marked acceleration, with connection volumes significantly higher than those recorded over the same period in 2025, according to WindEurope. This segment, however, remains structurally slower and more capital-intensive than onshore wind, with its trajectory heavily dependent on final investment decisions and auction award timelines. Germany's dominance in this half-year's connections stems largely from a permitting pace that has remained robust, while other major markets on the continent are struggling to maintain their authorization volumes.

Europe's total installed capacity continues a growth trajectory that began roughly a decade ago. This progress comes a year after a symbolic milestone in 2025, when combined wind and solar generation surpassed output from fossil fuels within the European Union for the first time, according to earlier WindEurope data. That shift, however, reflects the rapid rise of solar photovoltaics more than that of wind, which experienced a less favorable weather year.

WindEurope's new leadership calls for regulatory stability

The association is now led by Tinne Van der Straeten, who took office as director general on February 2, 2026. A former Belgian energy minister between 2020 and 2025, she succeeds Giles Dickson, who stepped down in December 2025 after a decade at the helm of the organization. Since taking office, she has stressed that upcoming government decisions on permitting, auctions, power grids and electrification will be decisive for the sector's future trajectory, according to WindEurope.

The association is calling for a stabilization of permit allocation rules and for the rapid rollout of the European Union's regulatory package on power grids. It is also urging governments to abandon experimental changes to auction design in favor of support mechanisms deemed more effective at securing long-term investment, WindEurope said.

A more uncertain financial backdrop

The picture nonetheless remains mixed: new turbine orders and the financial volumes committed by European operators sent more subdued signals over the period, raising questions about the sustainability of the current growth pace beyond the short term. WindEurope itself acknowledges that this half-year's capacity gains alone are not enough to guarantee the European Union's climate and energy targets for the end of the decade.