The European Commission has announced its intention to publish an Electrification Action Plan, under the lead of the EU’s new Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen. Electrification is vital to allow renewable energy, such as wind and solar, to more easily decarbonise demand. However, by limiting the focus to industry, and not coupling the action with ambitious targets for renewables, energy demand reduction, and fossil fuel phase-out, the plan risks restricting its impact on emissions reduction and lowering energy prices.
Key take-aways:
Electrification alone will not drive renewables, energy savings, and fossil fuel phase out
Ignoring ambitious frameworks for renewables, energy savings, and fossil fuel phase out risks slowing down electrification, limiting its impact on emissions reduction and lowering energy prices. Europe must implement and overshoot 2030 energy targets and set ambitious targets for 100% renewable energy, halving energy demand by 2040, and phasing out coal by 2030, gas by 2035, and oil by 2040.
Electrification must benefit households, and ensure industry contributes its fair share
The EU’s Electrification Action Plan should include households, alongside a Heating and Cooling Strategy, and the long-awaited Heat Pump Strategy. Lower-income households should not be subsidising industry through rising energy bills, but rather benefiting from cheap renewable power. Public subsidies to industry should have conditions to ensure the polluters pay principle, based on legally-binding transformation plans with clear targets.
Power electrification through cheap renewable energy for all
New electricity should be driven by the roll out of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, which can lower prices and incentivise further electrification. Long-term contracts, community ownership, fair energy taxation, and system flexibility should be utilised
Read the full Electrification Action Plan.
