Delivering on the Electrification Action Plan: Investment in Grids, Flexibility and Faster Connections will drive Step Change

Brussels, 14 September 2026 - Today, ENTSO-E releases its position on the European Commission's Electrification Action Plan, adopted on 17 July 2026, which places electrification centre stage for realising Europe's decarbonisation, competitiveness and security goals.

"Europe's electrification journey is not simply about replacing one energy source with another. It is about building the foundation for a more competitive, secure, and sustainable future", stated Damian Cortinas, Chair of the ENTSO-E Board, "The grid is not just an enabler of that future. It is one of its essential pillars," continues Sonya Twohig, Secretary-General of ENTSO-E.

ENTSO-E welcomes the recognition that electrification, grid reinforcement and development, and the operation of an increasingly complex power system must go hand in hand. Every electric vehicle, heat pump and newly electrified industrial process depends on a resilient, affordable and flexible power system. The same applies to growing electricity demand, such as from data centres and electrolysers.

Delivering Europe's electrification ambitions requires timely grid development and grid connections, alongside an accelerated regulatory framework that incentivises investment. Reinforcing and efficiently utilising existing electricity grids, as well as expanding transmission capacity and updating network codes and requirements also for demands, will be essential to connect growing electricity demand with generation and balance increasingly diverse load and generation profiles across Europe.

The success of the Electrification Action Plan will depend on three factors:

• Enabling timely investment in grid infrastructure through adequate financing, faster permitting procedures, and resilient supply chains.
• Unlocking flexibility across electricity generation, consumption, storage, and optimised grid use.
• Improving the management of grid connection requests to accelerate access to the grid.

ENTSO-E supports the proposal to set an ambitious indicative electrification target by 2040 supporting Europe's strategic objectives. Such a target provides stakeholders and investors with clarity on the direction while guiding electrification efforts without imposing overly prescriptive national or sectoral policies.

We also welcome the Action Plan's focus on electricity grids, flexibility and faster permitting, as more than half of the transmission projects needed by 2030 are still awaiting permits. ENTSO-E stands ready to contribute to implementation by providing, together with Transmission System Operators, technical expertise on grid development and solutions to enable the efficient integration of storage into the electricity system.

Download the full position paper