Hello and a big welcome to our new subscribers from Liquid Gas Europe, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina, Vetenskapsrådet and more. Euractiv’s Green Brief brings you a roundup of energy and environment news from across Europe. You can subscribe here.

EU energy ministers had an informal sit-down in Brussels this week to talk power grids. 

A beefed-up electricity network will be critical to deliver a renewables-powered Europe, so it was no surprise that the bloc’s green politicians stole the show. 

Tinne Van der Straeten, Belgium’s green minister of energy who chaired the meeting, challenged her fellow ministers: “What can we do to have more energy sovereignty, the 27 of us?”

She pitched the North Sea’s abundant offshore wind energy as a resource for both coastal and landlocked countries. 

She was backed by her Austrian and German ministerial counterparts – both also green –  who joined the push for deeper European grid integration.

But grid expansion is not just a green preoccupation. 

A much anticipated report by former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta is likely to call for a massive investment in electricity transport and distribution grids. The report, due for release on Thursday (18 April), should be a major signpost for the agenda of the next Commission.

Public and private talks in Brussels about the next Commission’s political priorities are all revolving around a common theme – economic competitiveness. And power grids are being positioned as a key enabler of this competitiveness. 

In 2030, integration of grids could slash fuel use by 21%, argues economic think tank Bruegel. And it could cut price volatility – industry’s current ‘bête noire’ – by more than two-thirds. 

The industry lobby group European Round Table for Industry recently called for action to close an estimated €800 billion grid investment gap. Europe is already finalising new rules to accelerate grid investments.

It seems like grid expansion is something everyone can agree upon. 

But not so fast. 

European countries are split into two distinct groups: the Austrian-led ‘Friends of Renewables’ group and France’s ‘Nuclear Alliance’.

Pro-renewable countries like Spain, Germany, and Denmark were happy to speak publicly on their way into Monday’s meeting. 

But some Nuclear Alliance countries may be less enthused by a vision of renewable energy fluidly crossing national boundaries. Nuclear power production is more stable and less flexible than renewable power, so grid needs are different, 

Nuclear Alliance countries were indeed far less inclined to speak to the press before the meeting kicked off.

And Nuclear Alliance leader France – despite having a choice of two energy ministers to send – were represented at the minister’s meeting by a civil servant. 

Belgian minister Van der Straeten was asked after the meeting about nuclear power. She struck a compromising note, saying that “the grid doesn’t care about the colour of the electron – whether it’s generated in an onshore wind turbine (…) or a nuclear power facility, it has to be transported”.

But clearly not everyone is experiencing grid expansion fever. More work will be needed, to ensure these divisions don’t turn grid expansion dreams into gridlock.

[Donagh Cagney and Nikolaus J. Kurmayer]

Top stories

Vestager pitches new 'systematic' defence of European clean technologies

Speaking from the United States on Tuesday (9 April), EU Competition Commissioner Magrethe Vestager announced new investigations into Chinese-supplied wind farms in Europe and pitched a fresh international approach to protect clean tech from unfair competition.

Europe is not meeting its cross-border grid connection goals, watchdog warns

As EU energy ministers meet in Brussels to discuss grid expansion, the EU electricity market watchdog ACER warned on Friday (12 April) that Europe’s key grid connections are not sufficiently dedicated to electricity trading between neighbouring countries.

Green Deal 2.0: Spain’s Ribera lays down vision for next Commission

Doubling down on climate action and social justice, the restored trust in European democracy, and a proud Europe on the international stage: This is the vision set out by Spanish Vice-President and Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera, the frontrunner to become Spain’s next commissioner in Brussels.

Must reads

• France’s battle plan to produce one million heat pumps a year – By Paul Messad
• ECB and cheap gas to blame for heat pump slump, says lobby group – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer
• Contested EU green buildings law adopted – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer
• Thierry Breton wants ‘Nuclear Technologies Act’ – By Paul Messad
• Shift to hydrogen networks: EU Parliament adopts laws for new gas era – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer
• European Parliament adopts ‘patchwork’ power market reform – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer
• EU ‘declaring war’ on energy sector methane emissions – By Nathan Canas
• EU Parliament approves deal on world’s first carbon removal certification scheme – By Donagh Cagney
• EU Parliament adopts 90% phase-out of new diesel trucks by 2040 – By Jonathan Packroff
• Europe strengthens rules on urban wastewater treatment – By Nathan Canas

News from the capitals

BERLIN. Greens eye EU Parliament’s ruling majority, written commitments, safe Green Deal. The Greens want to team up with other pro-European forces after the June elections to join the ruling majority in the European Parliament, not excluding a coalition agreement, to prevent the Green Deal from being watered down, as it faces strong criticism from businesses. Read more.

News in brief

A joint declaration for a sustainable Carbon Policy Package for the Chemical Industry. The Netherlands, France, the Czech Republic, and Ireland have submitted a joint declaration to the European Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra, calling for a sustainable Carbon Policy Package for the Chemical Industry. 

The member states propose the implementation of a market creation policy, the availability of sustainable carbon and a level playing field. They also stress the need for action to preserve production capacities in Europe and to strengthen the integration of the European chemical industry in ecological transition policies. 

For Vivianne Heijnen, the Dutch minister for the environment, “the chemical industry can be a driving force in achieving both the EU’s circularity goals and its climate goals, while at the same time reducing our dependency on foreign actors.” [Nathan Canas]

Croatia expands gas pipelines to Slovenia, Hungary with EU money. The neighbours of the Adriatic country, whose LNG terminal in Krk has a capacity of 2.9 billion cubic metres (bcm) per annum, will be able to count on Croatian gas shipments from mid-2026 with the approval of a €533 million construction contract to expand gas pipeline capacities. 

EU funds leveraged via an addendum to the country’s COVID-19 recovery plan will pay for the project that will see pipeline capacity to Slovenia quintuple to 1.5bcm and capacity to Hungary double to 3.4 bcm, reports Poslovni Dnevnik. [Nikolaus J. Kurmayer]

Opinions

• Tackling 10 prejudices about hydrogen following the Clean Transition Dialogues – By Jorgo Chatzimarkakis
• Our ocean is bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. Greater protection is urgently needed – By Alberto van Klaveren Stork and Patricia E. Harris

On our radar

• 22-25 APRIL. Last Parliament plenary session before the European elections
  • Circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles

• 30 MAY. Energy Council 
• SPRING 2024. First European Climate Risk Assessment
• 6-9 JUNE: European elections
• 17 JUNE. Environment Council (Luxembourg)
• 27-28 JUNE. European Council

*Interested in more energy and environment news delivered to your inbox? You can subscribe to our daily newsletter and to our comprehensive weekly update here.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

Read more with Euractiv

France's battle plan to produce one million heat pumps a year

The French Minister of Economy and Energy, Bruno Le Maire, unveiled on Monday (15 April) the government's plan to revive its heat pump industry, which comes amidst a slump in European heat pump manufacturing.