A European grid for lowering energy prices and for 100 per cent renewables

The Greens/EFA welcome the grid package presented today (Wednesday, 10 December) by the European Commission. The aim of the package is to improve the electricity infrastructure, make the electricity grid more reliable and drive forward the energy transition towards renewable energies in the EU. A strong and reliable electricity grid saves costs and ensures that renewable energies reach households and businesses. According to the International Monetary Fund, greater integration within the EU energy market could save €40 billion in costs annually.

Michael Bloss, Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur in the lead committee on industry, research and energy, comments:

"A truly European grid saves 40 billion Euros every year. We need a bold single European electricity grid, not a patchwork of inefficient national solutions. The expansion of cheap energy sources like solar and wind demands better planning, more flexibility and storage capacity, to make the energy transition a win-win for everyone. We must make Europe fit for 100 per cent renewables, lower energy prices, end dependence on fossil fuel dictatorships and make it easier for citizens to benefit from the transition. This proposal brings us closer to this vision and to a stronger Energy Union, we will however work to ensure a balance between swifter permitting and environment and biodiversity protection."

Background
The European Commission has taken up key demands of the Greens/EFA, such as the increased use of digital technologies to increase electricity capacity at a third of the cost of building new power lines. Better EU coordination in energy infrastructure planning also makes sense, so that decisions on electricity grid investments are no longer in the hands of the same energy suppliers who benefit from the expansion of the infrastructure. There is also a clear indication to better use the existing power lines before building new ones, thanks to digital technologies. Proposed further steps towards a citizens' energy union are welcome, including a proposal for benefit sharing of large renewables projects with hosting communities, such as co-ownership, investment in local public infrastructure and electricity price discounts for vulnerable and energy-poor households.

Bottlenecks in the electricity grids repeatedly lead to the waste of valuable renewable energy. Over 500 gigawatts of potential wind power do not make it through outdated electricity grids. In 2024 alone, seven EU countries spent €7.2 billion on paying renewable energy producers to throttle their output, resulting in the loss of their energy, and fossil fuel power plants to ramp up elsewhere.

Own-initiative report “Electricity grids as the backbone of the EU's energy system”, 19 June 2025