SolarPower Europe Chairmanship of the Electrification Alliance in review

Commitment to an Electrification Action Plan: After a summer of preparation, we were delighted to see the European Commission’s commitment to publishing an Electrification Action Plan in Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's Mission Letter to Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen! 

Our ‘Recommendations for an Electrification Action Plan’ paper, outlines exactly what this Electrification Action Plan should look like. Recommendations include the prioritisation of EU electrification targets, investing in grids and flexibility, and empowering citizens and businesses.

You can read more about about our hopes for an Electrification Action Plan here in Euractiv, and our argument for how an Electrification Action Plan = an Energy Efficiency First Action Plan here.
 

While in Strasbourg for an electrification dinner with the European Energy Forum (EEF), and a lunch which was hosted by MEP Niels Fuglsang (S&D), the Electrification Alliance introduced their priorities for an Electrification Action Plan, as well as the benefits of electrification. Conversations also addressed: grids and flexibility and the need for anticipatory investments and energy system flexibility; the importance of providing low-income people households with the opportunity to electrify; and permitting and skills.
 

Clean Industrial Deal: Electrification must be also be at the heart of the Clean Industrial Deal, which should incorporate electrification's essential role in decarbonising industry, creating a competitive and strong industrial base in Europe. Our ‘Recommendations for a Clean Industrial Deal’ paper outlines a series of actions for how electrification can power the Clean Industrial Deal. In the interview Walburga says; “Electrification strengthens the energy system by facilitating renewables’ integration, reducing carbon intensity across sectors, and cutting overall energy waste, related, among others, to inefficiencies of conversion processes.”

Thanks to MEPs Niels Fuglsang; Nicolás González Casares; Eero Heinäluoma; Elena Sancho; Benedetta Scuderi; Anna Stürgkh; Sigrid Friis; Lena Schilling; and European Commission policymakers, including Kerstin Jorna, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Industry, Internal Market, Entrepreneurship & SMEs (DG GROW); Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA); Pierre Schellekens, Director at the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER); and Eric von Breska, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), for all of the exchanges on electrification in both Brussels and Strasbourg.

smartEn are now taking over the 6 month rotating Chairpersonship of the Electrification Alliance.

We look forward to continuing working with our electrification partners to push electrification to the top of the EU agenda in 2025!

Follow the Electrification Alliance to keep up to date!