Europe has the solutions at hand

One message is becoming increasingly clear: energy security is security.

And this was particularly evident at the Warsaw Security Forum that I attended earlier in the month. Europe needs energy that cannot be attacked, weaponised or held hostage. Solar has already helped the EU avoid around €42 billion in gas import costs since the beginning of the recent Middle East war. But we remain too dependent on imported fossil fuels.

European gas prices topped 100 euros for the first time since December 2022. Energy prices are under pressure.  Last winter over 40 million EU citizens were unable to keep their homes adequately warm - taking immediate measures are all that more important.

With another winter ahead, protecting Europeans from this renewed price pressure must be an immediate priority. Targeted, temporary support for vulnerable households and lower electricity taxation can provide relief now, while greater support for residential solar and storage can help more Europeans take control of their bills. At the same time, we need to tackle the root causes of the problem: Europe’s continued exposure to volatile fossil fuels. 

The solutions are already at hand. We need to accelerate renewables and electrification, strengthen our grids and scale up battery storage so that renewable electricity can be used when and where it is needed most. But investors need positive signals.

That is why SolarPower Europe and WindEurope are calling on policymakers through our #KeepTheTarget campaign to introduce a binding EU renewable energy target for 2040. Europe’s existing 2030 target has provided a clear direction for governments, businesses and investors. We cannot allow that signal to disappear after 2030. A 2040 target would provide the visibility needed to keep investing in Europe’s renewable energy future. Read our joint opinion piece in Rapporteur here.

Our new EU Solar Jobs Report 2026 shows just how much is at stake. Solar and battery storage supported 982,000 jobs across the EU in 2025. Yet under today’s market conditions, solar employment is expected to decline by 2030. Grid bottlenecks, insufficient flexibility and slower deployment are already weighing on future growth.

Europe needs more solar. But it also needs the grids, storage and electrification that allow solar to do its job.

Over the past weeks, I have also had the opportunity to see this transition first-hand, visiting Maxxen Energy’s battery factory in Türkiye and meeting industry and national association partners in Ireland. These relationships matter enormously. Europe’s energy transition will only succeed if we work together across countries, sectors and technologies.

Energy security. Competitiveness. Jobs. Resilience.

Solar and storage are increasingly central to all four. Europe has the solutions. Now we need the ambition, stability and urgency to deliver them.

Let’s get to work.