To achieve independence, Europe needs an electrification revolution

Can we honestly say that we are free and independent in Europe?

Yes, in the sense that freedom is clearly written into the lines of our founding declarations, constitutions, and treaties. But the bottom lines of our energy bills tell a different story.

Over the past months, our ability to heat our homes and buy groceries at a decent price has been restricted by events along a 33km-wide stretch of water, halfway across the world. The time has come for Europe to change the course of things.

If there’s one lesson to be taken from the current crisis, it is that Europe cannot have true independence without energy independence.  Every true independence movement is led by the people. And this time, it is no different.

Across Europe, we are seeing the first sparks of an electrification revolution. In the first three months of the year, more than 500,000 electric cars were registered across the EU. In the same period, the combined sales of residential heat pumps in France, Germany and Poland alone surpassed 400,000. The people of Europe are choosing electricity. And it’s not difficult to see why. 

For example, I was in Finland recently, where our data show that the cost of driving an electric vehicle comes to €2.60 per 100km – compared to petrol costs of €9.20 per 100km. According to think tank Concito, by combining electric vehicles and heat pumps, European households can save between €1,700 to €3,000 per year.

European citizens are reading the signs. And they are not only ready for the clean transition. They are ready to lead it. Now, the only question is: How can governments across the EU catch up?

First, we need to produce more electricity in Europe, by harnessing our own resources.

We need to build more wind farms. We need to install more solar panels. And in countries that choose nuclear energy, we need to develop the next generation of power plants and technologies. By doing all of this, we can free our economies from expensive imports of fossil fuels, and instead drive them forward with our own clean, affordable energy.

Second, we need to make it easier to transport electricity across our continent.

This means upgrading power lines and cables. It means reinforcing cross-border connections. And it means building more battery facilities, so that we can store and redeploy electricity with flexibility. Doing so will require investments. But these investments make sense and deliver savings.

By 2040, electricity transmission and distribution grids will require investments of €1.2 trillion. And yet, by the same year, each €1 invested in the electricity grid will translate into over €2 saved in system costs. If we work together as Europe by investing collectively and planning strategically, we can reduce the costs and multiply the benefits.

Finally, we need to support the parts of our economy and our society where electrification is stalling, most notably in industry, transport, and buildings. Solutions exist. Electric furnaces in factories. Electric vehicles and charging stations in our streets. Smart meters, solar panels and heat pumps in our homes. This is what an electric Europe looks like. And we need to make sure that nobody is left out of the picture.

For example, Austria is helping its vulnerable citizens to replace fossil fuel boilers with clean alternatives. And France has a social leasing programme for electric vehicles, which enables modest-income households to lease a new EV at affordable rates. By making the right choices, we can ensure that the rising tide of electrification is one that lifts all people.

Soon, I will set out an Electrification Plan for Europe, filled with these and other practical steps that will bring us closer to our ultimate goal: Make Europe the world’s first electro-continent. This is an ambitious goal, but a necessary one. Because we need to free our future from the chains of fossil fuels. By harnessing our homegrown energy and electrifying Europe, we can open a new era of freedom for our citizens: in every home and every factory. In every village and every city. For every worker and every business owner.

It’s time for all of us to come together and secure European independence, by leading the electrification revolution.