European Commission wants to improve energy grid performance and support battery production

The European Union must phase out Russian fossil fuels, rely more on cheaper renewable energy and improve the functioning of its power grids. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this in a speech to the European Parliament, in which she also set out her team’s priorities for next year. The EU executive will support grid modernisation and address bottlenecks, she said. She also pledged 1.8 billion euros (44 billion crowns) to support battery production in the EU.

Von der Leyen acknowledged that high energy prices are lowering the standard of living for many people in Europe. “We know what drove those prices up: dependence on Russian fossil fuels. So it is time to phase out dirty Russian fossil fuels,” the German politician said.

In June, the Commission proposed gradually halting all imports of Russian gas and oil into the EU by the end of 2027, among other things in an effort to curb funding for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Hungary and Slovakia opposed the proposal.

Von der Leyen reiterated that the path to cheaper energy lies in renewable sources and that the EU must also rely on nuclear power. However, she said, the problem is the ageing grid infrastructure, which has recently suffered outages, including the massive blackout in Spain. Von der Leyen said the grids need modernising. The Commission is preparing an initiative to strengthen grid infrastructure and speed up approval processes, she said.

Brussels has also identified eight critical points, so-called bottlenecks that restrict the capacity of the grids, stretching from the Øresund Strait between Sweden and Denmark to the waters off Sicily. The Commission will work to remove them gradually, von der Leyen said.