Christie U. Omonigho (With Agency Report)
- Only five TSOs across 28 European countries currently have prepared for a complete fossil fuel phase out by 2035 scenario
An international news agency said that Europe’s push for clean energy was being undermined by a power grid system unfit for the rapid growth of renewables energy, revealing “widespread delays, inefficiencies, and outdated planning across the continent.”
A new report by “Beyond Fossil Fuels, E3G, Ember, and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis” has highlighted a disconnect between Europe’s renewable energy ambitions and the continent’s electricity grid capabilities. Noting that despite the rapid rollout of wind and solar projects, outdated infrastructure and planning are holding back progress and costing consumers billions.
Energy Window International (Media) had gathered from the news agency that about 1,700 GW of renewable energy projects were still stranded or stuck in grid connection queues across 16 countries, a “staggering three times what’s needed to meet the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets.” Meanwhile, across just seven countries, €7.2 billion worth of clean electricity was wasted in 2024 alone due to grid constraints, with consumers footing the bill. “Additional costs to consumers further hinder the energy transition, with consumers wanting green energy but not at any cost,” the agency said.
The analysis which the agency reported covered 32 electricity transmission system operators (TSOs) across 28 European countries had revealed, the agency said, that many operators have continued to rely on inadequate planning frameworks that fail to match up to surges in renewable generation. Adding that only five TSOs currently have prepared for a complete fossil fuel phase out by 2035 scenario, despite 13 European countries targeting fully decarbonised power sectors within that timeframe.
According to the report, “unless grid planning rules are urgently modernized, Europe risks locking itself into natural gas dependency from bureaucratic inertia, rather than any real necessity.” “Spain and Portugal’s recent blackouts served as a stark reminder of the need for resilient grid systems.”