“Europe finds itself, once again, in the middle of an energy crisis. Different triggers, same vulnerability.”
As SolarPower Europe Deputy CEO Dries Acke noted in his opening remarks, there was a strong sense of déjà vu in the room, echoing the 2022 fossil fuel crisis.
“The good news is that we know the solutions: to quickly make our energy system truly flexible, with homegrown renewables, storage and electrification at its core.”
This set the scene for the first Let’s Flex Roundtable of the year, hosted by SolarPower Europe, bringing together the European Commission, EU Parliament and Council, regulators, system operators and industry representatives for a strategic discussion on how the EU Grids Package can help Europe make the most of its electricity system.
The first session focused on permitting, with the European Commission presenting its proposals to accelerate approval processes across renewable energy, storage and grid infrastructure. Key elements included digitalised authorisation procedures, single points of contact, tacit approval and the application of overriding public interest. The exchange reflected broad support for reforms that could unblock projects faster and reduce delays that currently leave many solar and storage projects stuck in limbo.
The second session turned to the revision of the TEN‑E regulation and the opportunity to strengthen EU‑level grid planning. Participants highlighted the importance of prioritising non‑wire solutions such as solar, storage and flexibility to make better use of existing infrastructure before defaulting to new grid investments, particularly as grid connection queues continue to grow across Europe.
The final exchange addressed grid connection guidance. SolarPower Europe broadly welcomes the focus on network planning and flexibility, including grid hosting capacity maps, queue management reforms and flexible connection agreements. These tools were widely seen as key to improving efficiency and predictability, while also prompting discussion on the need to address remaining gaps.
In his closing remarks, Dries Acke captured the spirit of the day: “We are all in the same boat. We agree on the solutions, even if we approach the challenges from different perspectives. The real enemy is “inertia”. Progress will require everyone to move, and to move together.”
SolarPower Europe thanks all participants for contributing to a constructive and forward looking discussion at the Let’s Flex Roundtable.
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