The indicator electricity production from renewable energy sources shows the production of electricity from wind, solar, geothermal and water energy as well as from biomass. Electricity production from biomass includes production from wood and wood waste, renewable waste (liquor, straw, etc.), municipal solid waste, biogas (landfill gas, gas from purification facilities, other biogases) and liquid biofuels.

Electricity production from renewable energy sources is the friendliest method to the environment, since it causes the minimum amount of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. Naturally, there are differences between sources with regard to their environmental impacts. The use of wood biomass causes similar NO_x emissions as natural gas; if used in older boilers, it causes large emissions of volatile organic compounds and dust particles. Furthermore, over-consumption of wood biomass may influence the biological diversity or industrial branches that use wood as a raw product. Larger hydroelectric power plants have a huge impact on the landscape and represent a disturbance for ecosystems and hydrology. The production of some photovoltaic modules requires the use of heavy metals, etc. Detailed planning of the use of renewable energy sources can reduce these negative impacts to a minimum.

For environmentally-friendly electricity, electricity production from RES must be increased; namely, in a faster manner than the growth of total electricity production. Therefore, within the framework of the indicator, it is reasonable to monitor the share of electricity from RES, since this provides information on whether electricity production is becoming environmentally friendly or not.

Renewable energy sources in Slovenia significantly contribute to electricity production and the coverage of its electricity needs. In 2008, their share in gross electricity consumption amounted to 29.1 %. With regard to the previous year it increased by 7 percentage points, while with regard to 2000 it decreased by almost 3 percentage points. It was lower than the objective by 4.5 percentage points. In 2008, gross electricity consumption was, with regard to 2000, more than 20 % higher, and electricity production from RES 10 % higher. If gross electricity consumption remained at the level of 2000 and production from RES maintained its growth, the share would amount to 35 %.

A significant increase in production until 2004 was recorded for landfill gas, which is primarily due to the implementation of the Decree on the landfill of waste and the Rules on the landfill of waste, since both demand energy use of landfill gas. In 2008, production amounted to 32 GWh, which is 256 % more than in 2000; the year before that it increased by more than 10 %.

Electricity production from wood and wood waste in 2008 was, with regard to 2000, more than 300 % higher, and with regard to the previous year 270 % higher. Such an increase is a result of the start-up of co-incineration of wood biomass in larger electricity and heat production units run on coal in the thermal power plant in Šoštanj, thermal power plant in Trbovlje and thermal power-heating plant in Ljubljana. Prior to that, biomass was used only in industrial CHP plants.

Electricity production from other biogases, where agriculture prevails, increased in 2008 by 26 %. Since 2000, production has increased by almost 754 %. Such growth is a result of the good operation of the system of fixed redemption prices. A similar case applies to electricity production from the sun, which is not monitored by SORS. In 2008, it increased by 132 %, so that it amounted to more than 2 GWh. In total electricity production, solar energy represented 0.05 %.

Until 2012, additional electricity production from RES in the amount of 708 GWh or an increase in capacities by 221 MW, with regard to 2007, is expected. A detailed presentation of additional production is shown in Figure EN19-5.

The most important of the measures for the promotion of electricity production from RES is the system of fixed redemption prices that was renewed in 2009. It is regulated by the Regulation on supports for electricity generated from renewable energy sources and Energy Act. The system operates in the same way as with electricity and heat co-production. Investments in new facilities are also promoted by the Eco fund through favourable loans.

Electricity production from renewable energy sources in 2007 represented 16.6 % in the EU-27, which is 1.0 percentage point more than in 2006. With regard to 2000, the share was 1.8 percentage points higher. In the EU-25, the share was a little lower with 16.5 %; however, the trends were 0.1 of a percentage point higher. Despite an increase in electricity production from RES, the EU-25 is still far away from the objective set for 2010 (21 %), which most probably will not be achieved. A similar case can be claimed for the EU-15, where the share in 2007 amounted to 17.6 %, while the objective for 2010 amounts to 22.1 %. The objective for 2010 among Member States has already been achieved by Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Hungary, while Denmark and Belgium are close to it. The changes in the share in the period 2000–2007 in the EU-27 Member States strongly vary. The share has decreased the most in countries that produce all or the majority of electricity from RES in hydroelectric power plants, such as Greece, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Romania and Latvia. In the EU-27, only electricity production in hydroelectric power plants decreased in the period 2000–2007, which is a result of bad hydrological conditions; on the other hand, production from solar energy increased the most. Production from wind energy and biomass, including wood and biogases, has also strongly increased.