Europe’s electrification and industrial transformation require grid capacity to expand faster, smarter and at unprecedented scale. Since the 2024 Grids for Speed report and the 2025 Grids for Speed Hub — spanning planning, flexibility, investment models and operational optimisation — a conclusion has emerged: solutions exist. Grid-enhancing technologies, digital planning tools and innovative financing approaches are available, yet scaling them demands stronger alignment across policy frameworks, capital mobilisation and technology deployment. Live polling during the 2025 meetings highlighted that friction often occurs at the planning and investment stage, where regulatory design, business cases and risk allocation must evolve together.
This first 2026 Hub meeting moves from analysis to acceleration: how can the EU Grids Package, investment frameworks and advanced grid technologies work in concert to deliver faster buildout and unlock both new and optimised capacity across Europe?