Europe needs to modernize its aging electricity grid and double its annual distribution network investments to €67 billion this year, Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, told Anadolu. He stressed that current annual investments average €34 billion but must significantly increase to reinforce interconnections and ensure a resilient energy system.
With many European grids over 40 years old, Ruby highlighted the urgent need for modernization to support a 21st-century electricity network. He cited a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which warns that supply chain constraints are critical, as over 1,600 gigawatts of solar and wind projects are awaiting grid connections. While global investment in power transmission grew 10% in 2023 to $140 billion, the IEA estimates that annual investment must exceed $200 billion by the mid-2030s to meet rising electricity demand.
Eurelectric, a Brussels-based organization representing the European energy sector and over 3,500 entities, recently published its Redefining Energy Security in the Age of Electricity report. The report calls for a new energy security strategy that prioritizes electrification and a more integrated approach to supply resilience.
“We are revisiting energy security due to major geopolitical shifts,” Ruby said, emphasizing that Europe, long reliant on cheap imported energy and external security guarantees, must now revamp its energy policies to remain competitive. “We need to rethink energy security and reduce dependence on external suppliers,” he added.
To achieve this, Ruby stressed the need to cut fossil fuel imports and rapidly scale up renewable and nuclear electricity production within Europe. He called for a new investment strategy to support renewables while ensuring grid stability for powering industries, transport, and heating. Electricity, he argued, must become the “main vector” of future energy supply, requiring measures to maintain stability and resilience.
Ruby also noted that Europe’s 2014 energy security strategy is outdated. “We now have a clearer understanding of climate change challenges and must revise our approach, placing electricity at the core,” he stated. He pointed to growing threats, including targeted attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Baltic Sea sabotage, rising cyberattacks, industrial espionage, and climate-driven disruptions, underscoring the need to “plan for the unexpected.”
To enhance resilience, Ruby called for investments in robust equipment, advanced security measures, and a secure electricity supply, warning that Europe must eliminate single points of failure and prepare for the increasing energy challenges it faces daily.
