European Commission charts the course for electrifying Europe with Electrification Action Plan

Today, the European Commission published its Electrification Action Plan alongside legislative proposals on energy taxation, network tariffs, grid connections in congested networks and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The package aims to accelerate electrification across industry, transport and buildings, while supporting a more efficient and flexible electricity system.
 
SolarPower Europe has issued the following statement in reaction.

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO, SolarPower Europe said: “Europe’s future runs on electricity. Today's Electrification Action Plan puts electrification firmly at the heart of Europe’s economic strategy, including an EU-wide 46% electrification target for 2040, doubling today’s electrification rates.
 
The Commission has also taken important steps towards correcting the tax imbalance between electricity and fossil fuels, and recognising battery storage, flexibility and smarter grid use in network tariffs as essential pillars of a competitive and affordable energy system.
 
Effectively delivering on the electrification target, however, requires clear investment and financial support. First, the EUR 30bn ETS-based investment booster and EUR 100bn Industrial Decarbonisation Bank should explicitly target electrification.
 
Second, the Commission should without delay adopt dedicated measures for boosting deployment of battery storage and other non-fossil flexibility solutions, which offer the fastest route to structurally lower electricity prices.
 
The ETS-based investment instruments should, therefore, also focus on de-risking of battery storage investments.
 
With the right measures to accompany the Electrification Action Plan, Europe can become a truly electrified continent, breaking free from volatile fossil fuels and building a more secure and resilient economy."

Notes:

• The legislative proposal on future-proofing electricity bills in the Union, including energy taxation, network tariffs, and grid connections will now proceed to the European Parliament and Council under the ordinary legislative procedure. Following the adoption of their respective positions, the co-legislators will enter negotiations on the final text.
   
• SolarPower Europe has set out recommendations to accelerate electrification across all sectors, which can be found here.
   

From left to right: Teresa Ribera (Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition), Wopke Hoekstra (European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth) and Dan Jørgensen (European Commissioner for Energy and Housing) give a press conference on the ETS review and the Energy package