Regions, cities demand a say in overhaul of EU’s energy grid

Cities and regions push for a formal say in energy planning, protection for low-income households, and rules to ensure large consumers pay a fair share for grid costs.

The opinion on the European Grids Package, adopted by majority at the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) plenary session on 5 March, demands a binding role for regions and cities in EU energy network governance and urges the Commission to invite the CoR to participate in the Energy Union Task Force.

Rising tensions in Iran have pushed energy prices to new highs across Europe, exposing once again the continent's vulnerability to geopolitical shocks. Against this backdrop, the opinion prepared by rapporteur Clare Colleran Molloy (IE/Renew), Deputy Mayor of Clare County, on the European Grids Package could not be more timely: modernising Europe's electricity infrastructure is no longer just a climate goal, it is a matter of energy security.

Europe has one of the most interconnected electricity grids in the world, ageing infrastructure and limited interconnection capacity have created significant bottlenecks and congestion across the EU. The European Commission has estimated that €1.2 trillion is needed to modernise this infrastructure and has set out a clear investment framework. However, local and regional leaders warned that the proposal relies too heavily on a top-down approach that risks undermining the clean energy transition.

The opinion requests a local energy action and delivery (LEAD) framework to support permit-granting procedures and complementary solutions at local and regional level. The CoR stresses that cities and regions must be recognised as partners in planning, advocacy, permitting and monitoring, in order to ensure that grid expansion aligns with local development priorities and climate adaptation needs.

The CoR argues that local and regional authorities must have a formal and permanent role in energy planning at both EU and national levels. It presses the Commission to include the Committee in the Energy Union Task Force, so that local perspectives inform EU energy decision-making.

Regarding affordability, local and regional leaders insist that grid development must demonstrably help to reduce household energy bills, with expansion costs shared fairly among all users and with full protection for low-income households.

Lastly, the opinion proposes lowering the threshold for mandatory community benefit-sharing from 10 MW to 5 MW and calls for local and regional authorities to play a formal role in designing, implementing and monitoring these arrangements.

Quotes

Rapporteur Clare Colleran Molloy (IE/Renew), Deputy Mayor of Clare County: "Europe cannot deliver affordable, clean and secure energy without urgently modernising its electricity grids. Regions like County Clare in Ireland show the renewable potential being lost to outdated infrastructure. Grid upgrades must be a European priority, putting citizens and regions at the centre of the energy transition."

Background

• Video and photo of the CoR plenary session.

• The Commission presented the European Grids Package (COM/2025/1005) on 10 December 2025. The EU has one of the most extensive and resilient electricity networks, but they are confronted with new and significant challenges such as insufficient grid capacity to meet growing connection requests both on the demand and supply side, delays in project implementation and security threats.
  

Contact:
Víctor Moreno Morales de Setién
Tel: +32 475 999662
victor.morenomoralesdesetien@cor.europa.eu