WE cannot talk about competitiveness, energy security, or achieving net zero without addressing the urgent need to expand and modernise our electricity grids.
That’s the view of Seán Kelly, MEP for Ireland South who has been appointed to the European Parliament’s Energy Committee report on electricity grids, a critical policy file that will shape the future of Europe’s energy infrastructure.
‘Europe’s energy transition depends on a grid that is fit for purpose – right now, it simply isn’t,’ he said, stressing that outdated infrastructure, regulatory delays, and slow permitting processes are holding back progress.
‘Too much time is being lost in bureaucracy. We have the technology, we have the investment, but we need political will to break through the barriers slowing down critical projects. Without a strong grid, businesses will struggle with high energy costs, and our climate goals will slip out of reach. We need to accelerate interconnection, storage solutions, and smart grid technologies to maximise efficiency,’ he said. The European Commission’s Grid Action Plan set out the right priorities, he said, but stressed that ‘strategies on paper are meaningless without real implementation. We need to move from words to action – urgently.’
