SupergridEurope has joined 16 other organisations from the EU Innovation Hub in calling for the EU’s electrification goals to be backed by ambitious renewable and energy efficiency targets.
Replacing imported oil & gas with European renewable and fossil-free electricity is a triple win. It boosts competitiveness with more affordable energy, protects us from price spikes and geopolitical manoeuvring, and helps provide the long-term security of a stable climate.
We welcome the Electrification Action Plan (EAP) and its indicative objective to double electrification from around 23% to 46% of final energy consumption by 2040. However, to make the plan work, we urge the Commission, Member States and the European Parliament to:
Keep electrification, renewables and efficiency as mutually reinforcing and binding pillars - The post-2030 framework should preserve the Renewable Energy (RED) and Energy Efficiency (EED) Directives and set ambitious, binding targets for 2040
Back the 2040 electrification objective with a robust delivery framework - including a clear methodology, sectoral benchmarks for industry, households and transport, and KPIs
Fix the economics of electrification - reducing both upfront costs as well as improving the economic case, including delivering on an electricity-to-gas price ratio of 2 for industry and 2.5 for households.
The leads of the EU Innovation Hub’s Energy Working Group commented on the letter:
“Europeans need electrification to be a practical reality in their daily lives - not just a political slogan. That means concrete action to slash the electricity-to-gas price ratio for industry and households,” said Donagh Cagney, EU Policy Director at SupergridEurope.
“Renewables and energy efficiency are two of Europe’s undisputed economic & security success stories in recent decades. In an increasingly volatile world, Europe must play to its strengths. Now is the moment to anchor the EU’s electrification in predictable targets and real delivery,” said Rheanna Johnston, Senior Policy Advisor, EU Energy Transition, E3G.
Read the letter & annex, to find out how the post-2030 framework can deliver an efficient, renewable and electrified Europe.