The EU needs an Action Plan on Energy Storage
15
Oct
2024
No Energy Transition Without an Action Plan on Energy Storage
Brussels, 15 October 2024 – The Energy Storage Coalition calls on the European Commission to implement a comprehensive Action Plan on Energy Storage, a crucial step to ensure Europe meets its energy transition goals. As the EU enters a new five-year term, it faces critical challenges in strengthening global competitiveness, securing its energy system, and achieving climate targets. The Energy Storage Coalition emphasises that energy storage is essential to address these challenges, enabling Europe to fully harness renewable energy sources.
Doriana Forleo, Executive Director at the Energy Storage Coalition commented: “The success of the energy transition depends on energy storage and renewables working together. The reform of the Electricity Market Design is a great step forward, but we need clear regulatory guidance and targeted incentives to unlock the full potential of energy storage across the EU.”
Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe said: “To integrate solar energy into the grid, we must expand our flexibility resources. Our Mission Solar 2040 study estimates that 1.2TWh of storage will be required to meet solar energy targets and save the system €160 billion EUR by 2040. However, we need an EU Energy Storage Action Plan to achieve this!”
Patrick Clerens, Secretary General of EASE – The European Association for Storage of Energy added: “An Energy Storage Action Plan is the right way forward to achieve the decarbonisation objectives, ensure Europe’s competitiveness, and reach low energy prices for all consumers. The Action Plan is about pushing renewables and storage forward, attracting investments and ensuring Europe’s energy security”
While recent EU legislation, including the Clean Energy Package and the Electricity Market Design reform, has laid a foundation for renewable energy and storage, significant barriers to widespread storage deployment remain. The Energy Storage Coalition calls on the European Commission to develop an Action Plan on Energy Storage to provide regulatory clarity, streamline deployment processes, and encourage investment across Member States.
The Energy Storage Coalition’s call aligns with previous European Parliament recommendations, which in 2020 called for a strategy on energy storage. With ongoing electricity market reforms and increasing renewable energy deployment, the time is ripe for a more comprehensive approach to energy storage.
The Energy Storage Coalition highlights five essential elements that should be included in the proposed Action Plan:
- Provide dedicated incentives for energy storage
- Harmonise permitting and grid connection rules for storage deployment
- Set a fair framework for network charges and levies
- Prioritise energy storage in capacity markets & launch dedicated auctions for energy storage and flexibility solutions
- Monitor energy storage growth in the National Energy & Climate Plans
As renewable energy continues to expand in Europe, energy storage must keep pace to ensure the grid remains flexible and stable. The Energy Storage Coalition urges the European Commission to develop an Action Plan on Energy Storage, providing much-needed regulatory clarity and supporting Member States in scaling up energy storage capacity.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Valentina Ferrara
Head of Communications
v.ferrara@energystoragecoalition.eu
