The European Commission will present a plan for the digitalization of electrical networks, in an attempt to stimulate the expansion of renewable energies and reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels, reports Bloomberg.
The “Digitalization of the energy system” action plan, which will be presented next week by the Community Executive, will require investments of 565 billion euros in network infrastructure by the end of the decade, in order to achieve its plans in the field of green energy and reduce dependence on Russia, according to a draft document consulted by Bloomberg News.
Under Brussels’ proposals, the EU bloc will seek to promote the exchange of data on electricity consumption from 2024 to help increase flexibility in the region’s energy markets, for example by allowing photovoltaic panels and electric vehicles to feed in electricity back in the network, according to Agerpres.
Europe must install photovoltaic panels on the roof of all commercial and public buildings by 2027 and on the roof of all new residential buildings by 2029. The document also calls for the installation of 10 million heat pumps over the next five years as well as for 30 million zero-emission vehicles on EU roads in 2030.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and high energy prices have only increased the need and urgency to ensure that the European Union improves both its independence from Russian fossil fuel imports and its strategic sovereignty and security by creating a digital energy system”, says the action plan, which may undergo changes before it is published.
After Russia reduced gas supplies to Europe and a number of power plants were shut down for maintenance work, wholesale energy prices increased more than ten times compared to the average value for this time of the year.
The action plan on the digitalization of electricity networks is the latest set of measures presented by the EU to reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas and to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. As the region’s electricity demand grows, a more resilient power grid will be needed to accommodate the weather-dependent output from solar panels and wind turbines, and also direct electricity to where it is most needed. great need in the community block.
According to European diplomats, the Community Executive intends to publish on September 28 a document in which it will detail new steps intended to reduce volatility and increase the volume of transactions on the energy markets, given that the price explosion has led to an increase in margin calls , as well as measures that the community bloc could take to reduce fuel prices.