EU Energy Ministers discuss energy security and affordability – flexibility and storage must be at the core

At the Energy Council in Brussels yesterday, EU Energy Ministers debated Europe’s energy security and affordability challenges. The discussion made one thing clear: renewable energy is energy security. Replacing fossil fuel dependency with secure, homegrown, and affordable renewables is one and the same.

The Ministers also exchanged on the Affordable Energy Action Plan, revisions to the EU’s energy security framework, and preparations for next winter. While there was a strong focus on securing gas supplies, Europe’s priority must be about reducing reliance on all fossil fuels.

SolarPower Europe issued the following statement in reaction.

Dries Acke, Deputy CEO of SolarPower Europe (he/him):

"The Energy Council rightly focused on affordability and security, but we need to stop treating gas as part of the solution. The real way forward is accelerating renewables, flexibility, and electrification; ensuring that clean energy is available when and where we need it.

Solar PV is already strengthening Europe’s energy security. However, without a flexible grid, we risk curtailing renewables and remaining exposed to fossil volatility. Investing in flexibility and storage means energy autonomy. A system built on renewables, flexibility, storage and electrification, could save EU taxpayers €30 billion annually on system costs by 2030, and €160 billion per year by 2040.

To make this happen, we call on the European Commission and EU Member States to commit to an EU Flexibility Package, with a dedicated Storage Action Plan, complementing the Grids Package. We know we need to double grid interconnection capacity by 2030. This is well reflected in the EU Action Plan for Grids and upcoming Grids Package under the Clean Industrial Deal (CID). But we need ten times more battery storage by 2030, at least! 

Investing in storage and flexibility is the way to structurally decouple our economy from imported fossil fuels, making energy more affordable, less volatile, and more secure.”

Notes 

• In 2024 alone solar PV installed 66 GW in the EU; equal to powering 20 million more homes and businesses with low-cost, safe and clean energy. (SolarPower Europe)
• In 2024, solar overtook coal generation for the first time in the EU. New solar and wind together saved the EU € 59 billion fossil fuel import costs since 2019. (Ember)
• A flexible and electrified energy system based on renewables could save EU taxpayers €30 billion annually on energy system costs savings by 2030, and €160 billion per year by 2040. Discover Mission Solar 2040.
• We need to double grid interconnection capacity and at least multiply by 10 our battery energy storage capacity by 2030. Discover Mission Solar 2040.

What is Flexibility?  

Energy system flexibility is the ability of an energy system to adapt to changing conditions, such as variations in demand and supply. The key means are smart and interconnected grids, storage and demand response.

Consumers, electricity generators, or technology like storage, can use flexibility to adjust how they feed in electricity to the grid or consume electricity from the grid. This is important to match grid needs or solar availability. 

In real life that looks like a solar power plant coupled with battery storage, or a smart charging station that charges a car when rooftop solar PV is producing abundantly. 

Flexibility means the energy system is being used more efficiently, and so less investment is needed for slow-to-build grid infrastructure. 

Discover the #LetsFlex campaign 

© European Union, 2025 (download here)