WindEurope has identified grid access as the primary obstacle to expanding renewable energy capacity in Europe, stating that grid access delays have surpassed permitting issues, according to a report released on Friday.
The organization highlighted that in key European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Ireland, Croatia, and the UK, more than 500 GW of potential wind energy projects await assessment for grid connections. Italy and the UK alone have over 100 GW of projects in the queue, though not all are expected to be realized.
Giles Dickson, CEO of WindEurope, emphasized the critical impact of grid access delays on energy security and costs. “The system is clogged up – and holding back hundreds of gigawatts of wind farms. This means less energy security and higher power prices,” Dickson stated.
While some reforms such as anticipatory planning require time, Dickson highlighted immediate improvements in managing grid connection queues as essential. WindEurope advocated for applying the principle of overriding public interest to expedite grid infrastructure permitting, citing successful examples in countries like Germany.
Dickson further urged grid permitting authorities to move away from the “first come, first served” approach to prioritize grid access based on filtering and prioritization criteria. This, according to WindEurope, would optimize the management of grid connection requests across Europe.
