EU calls for revolutionary modernization of the power grids – a decisive step towards the energy transition!

EU calls for revolutionary modernization of the power grids – a decisive step towards the energy transition!

Today, June 23, 2025, the European Parliament announced a decisive step to improve electricity network capacity. Under the leadership of Anna Stürgkh, Member of the EU Parliament (NEOS), the member states are called upon to comprehensively research and optimize the existing systems. This measure is part of Article 194 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which is intended to have a significant impact on the future of Europe's energy system. The aim is to strengthen the role of renewable energies such as photovoltaics and solar thermal energy both at EU level and globally in order to advance the energy transition.

An important aspect of this energy transition is the global boom in the battery sector, which plays a central role in the management of electricity networks. In particular, the need for electricity storage, seen as the backbone of a sustainable energy future, is increasing. As the BDEW bdew.de reports, electricity storage is crucial for electrification in various areas, including mobility and heat supply. They compensate for weather-related fluctuations in electricity generation and increase grid stability.

The role of renewable energies

Switching to renewable energy plays an essential role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energy covered almost 19% of final energy consumption worldwide in 2021, up from 17% in 2000. The energy sector itself is responsible for a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the importance of renewable energy, which contributed around 9,029 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity generation in 2023. This corresponds to an increase of 5% compared to the previous year.

Hydropower remains the dominant source of renewable electricity generation, followed by wind and solar energy. In 2023, the share of hydropower was 47%, while wind and solar energy contributed 26% and 18% to total electricity generation, as destatis.de reports. With the enormous increase in installed capacities in recent years, there is a rapidly growing interest and commitment to the energy transition.

Challenges and future outlook

But despite this progress, the industry faces challenges. The BDEW emphasizes that regulatory hurdles are slowing down the expansion of electricity storage. In order to secure the energy future, legal framework conditions must be adapted and approval procedures accelerated. Without these measures, the potential of renewable energies and their storage systems could not be fully exploited.

Another area that needs to be taken into account is geothermal energy, which, despite making a small contribution to the energy transition, is becoming increasingly important, especially for winter heat supply. This shows that a comprehensive consideration of all technologies and measures is necessary to achieve the ambitious climate goals and shape the transition to a sustainable energy future.