Photo: European Union/Aurore Martignoni
On December 10th, the EU Commission adopted the European Grids Package and the Energy Highways initiative.
Through the Grids Package, the Commission seeks to bring a European perspective to infrastructure while accelerating the permitting of projects.
The focus will not only be on making the best use of existing energy infrastructure but also on the acceleration of the development of grids and other physical energy infrastructures throughout the Union. To optimise the use of existing capacities, measures will be taken to advance the uptake of smart electricity grids ant network efficiency measures at both the grid and users’ levels. To this end, the Guidance on efficient grid connections provides recommendations to Member States and regulatory authorities on how they can make the most efficient use of existing grids.
The Energy Highways initiative will address 8 bottlenecks across Europe where the energy infrastructure needs are the most pressing. The initiative will support the concrete implementation of projects, thereby supporting security of energy supply, while increasing the share of renewable energy in the EU’s energy mix, thus reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The Grids Package Communication recognises that tariffs alone are not enough to finance the needed grid updates. The Commission is therefore assessing how to mobilise more public and private investments such as through the Connecting Europe Facility, projects of common interest and an upcoming Clean Energy Investment Strategy.
As part of the Communication, the EU Commission issued two legislative proposals: a proposal for a revised TEN-E regulation and a proposal for a revised Directive to accelerate permit-granting procedures for infrastructure projects.
Source: European Commission
