We welcome the Grids Package for recognising grids as central to Europe’s energy and industrial strategy, for simplifying and accelerating permitting, for strengthening TSO–DSO cooperation, and for delivering a solid push to tackle connection queues.
This direction strongly aligns with Eurelectric’s long-standing efforts to place grids at the top of the European energy agenda. Our Grids for Speed study, for instance demonstrates that annual investment in distribution grids alone must double to as much as €67 billion to keep pace with electrification and renewable deployment.
This paper therefore sets out targeted recommendations to ensure the proposal delivers on its full potential. In particular, we identify:
- provisions that have the potential to be game-changers in accelerating permitting and should be retained;
- elements that would benefit from targeted adjustments to avoid lengthening connection queues, delaying project development, or constraining access to funding for DSOs; and
- important elements that are currently missing to secure a sustained investment pipeline for distribution grids and to further accelerate both renewable and network deployment.
If these changes are taken into account, the Grids Package can become a cornerstone of EU legislation for attracting investment and accelerating electrification.