According to a new analysis by the think tank Ember, grid bottlenecks threaten more than 120 GW of planned renewable energy power plants in 20 EU countries. In the 17 countries that reported data on transmission grid capacity, more than two-thirds of the wind and solar power plants planned through 2030 are at risk. Insufficient grid capacity could also delay the installation of 16 GW of rooftop solar systems.
According to Ember, one in two grid operators lacks sufficient grid capacity to connect the planned new wind and solar plants. The biggest bottlenecks are reportedly in Austria, Bulgaria, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia. However, the challenge is likely even greater, as many countries, including Germany and Italy, do not publish data on grid capacity. Of the countries that do publish this data, three—Austria, Bulgaria, and Romania—have no capacity at all for new industrial loads, according to Ember. The Czech Republic, on the other hand, has ample spare capacity, and Belgium and Latvia are also able to accommodate significant new demand.
»With power costs spiking, Europe’s grids are a crucial enabler in the race to install renewables to replace imported fossil fuels and protect households against volatile prices,« said Elisabeth Cremona, an energy analyst at Ember. »Grid bottlenecks are no longer simply a technical issue. They are a security risk.«
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