{"id":100167,"date":"2025-05-14T07:14:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T07:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/100167\/"},"modified":"2025-05-14T07:14:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T07:14:15","slug":"europes-electricity-grid-is-outdated-and-risks-derailing-fossil-fuel-phase-out-report-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/100167\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe\u2019s electricity grid is outdated and risks derailing fossil fuel phase out, report finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n

Europe\u2019s electricity grid is failing to keep pace with the renewable energy transition, according to a new report.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the EU announcing last week its roadmap to phase out remaining Russian fossil fuels<\/strong><\/a> by 2027, electricity grids will be essential to replacing them with homegrown green energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Close<\/p>\n

The report from Beyond Fossil Fuels, E3G, Ember and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis looked at 32 electricity transmission system operators (TSOs) across 28 countries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They found that many are using out-of-date scenarios based on old government targets and assumptions about the electricity market. This outdated grid planning<\/strong><\/a> and weak governance are stalling Europe\u2019s transition to renewable energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernments urgently need to dislodge these fatbergs from the planning system so that grid operators can get renewable projects hooked up,\u201d says Juliet Phillips, energy campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Phillips adds that giving TSOs and their regulators a climate mandate could ensure they make the long-term investments and decisions to \u201cfuture-proof\u201d our energy systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the only way to break free from fossil fuel imports, and cut bills and emissions,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where in Europe are renewable energy projects stalling?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over 1,700 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy projects<\/strong><\/a> across 16 countries were stuck in the queue to be connected to the electricity grid – more than three times the capacity the EU needs to reach energy and climate targets for 2030.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The UK had the highest amount of renewable energy stuck in these connection queues at 722 GW of wind and solar power. It was followed by Finland with 400 GW, Italy with 348 GW and Germany with 70 GW. <\/p>\n

\u20ac7.2 billion in renewable energy was wasted across just seven countries in 2024 because it couldn\u2019t be accommodated by electricity grids. And that data is limited because of what TSOs were able to provide to the report\u2019s authors. Many don\u2019t track the curtailment of renewables or what it costs. <\/p>\n

What data there is provides insight into what is wasted in some of Europe\u2019s biggest economies. In Germany alone, as much as \u20ac3.3 billion of wind and solar power was curtailed last year. For Spain, it may have been up to \u20ac2.5 billion in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In these places, clean energy was wasted while those who generated the power were still compensated, with the extra cost often falling on bill payers.<\/p>\n

Fossil fuels could become a self-fulfilling prophecy<\/strong><\/p>\n

The report warns that unless the planning and regulation around upgrading electricity grids is updated, Europe risks a \u201cself-fulfilling prophecy\u201d where fossil gas appears necessary because grid operators never planned for a system based on renewables.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Only five grid operators were planning for a fully decarbonised grid by 2035: EirGrid (Ireland), Energinet (Denmark), Fingrid (Finland), National Grid (UK) and Litgrid (Lithuania). This is despite 13 countries having clean power targets<\/strong><\/a> for the same timeframe. <\/p>\n

\u201cEurope\u2019s electricity grid is not modernising fast enough, and that must change,\u201d says Vilislava Ivanova, research manager at E3G.<\/p>\n

Governments must send \u201cclear political signals\u201d to grid operators about the need to meet climate targets to unlock a resilient fossil fuel free economy, Ivanova adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly through political leadership, independent governance, and clear incentives can we ensure grids become enablers, not barriers, of Europe\u2019s clean and competitive energy future.\u201d<\/p>\n

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