Europe’s Solar Scramble Proves Reliability Comes First
Europe’s power grid received another reminder this week of a fundamental problem with solar energy: when the sun disappears, so does the power.
Reuters reports,
“Europe’s power network operators have lined up back-up generation and grid-balancing measures to offset an expected dip in solar power during Wednesday’s eclipse, they said ahead of the event.”
As a solar eclipse moved across Europe, solar generation was expected to drop by up to 9.7 gigawatts. Spain and Portugal alone were expected to lose roughly 5 gigawatts, while France prepared for as much as 1.8 gigawatts of solar generation to temporarily disappear.
To keep the lights on, European grid operators prepared to ramp up coal and natural gas generation.
The irony could not be clearer. After years of aggressively promoting solar and other intermittent resources, Europe still needs reliable traditional energy on standby whenever solar fails to deliver.
The eclipse may be unusual, but Solar’s limitations are not. Solar production declines each evening, drops to zero at night, and fluctuates with the weather. Yet homes, hospitals, factories, and businesses need electricity regardless of whether the sun is shining.
In America, we were not concerned about a solar eclipse. Our lights and air conditioning stayed on throughout the day. Europe should follow America’s lead and embrace reliable energy resources that can keep the lights on 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
August 13, 2026