EU Announces Plan to Double Electrification by 2040

EU aims to double electrification by 2040 

The European Commission has released its Electrification Action Plan, with a goal to boost the share of electricity in the European Union’s final energy consumption from 23% today to 46% by 2040. The initiative aims to strengthen Europe’s energy security, enhance industrial competitiveness and speed the transition from fossil fuels.

It encourages an increase in electric vehicles, heat pumps, battery storage and electrified industrial processes. To this end, the Commission proposes to allow Member States to reduce electricity taxes and grid charges in order to make electricity cheaper than natural gas. Officials estimate that meeting the target could slash the EU’s fossil fuel import bill by as much as €260 billion a year by 2040.

The strategy is part of the EU’s wider effort to meet its climate goals while responding to recent energy security challenges. Alongside the electrification plan, the Commission is also reviewing its Emissions Trading System (ETS) to better support industrial decarbonisation and clean energy investment.

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Further reading:  EU Launches Plan to Double Electrification of Economy by 2040, Cut Fossil Fuel Reliance

Scottish Power to invest £1.5 billion in UK wind farm

British renewable energy firm Scottish Power has announced a £1.5 billion ($2.01 billion) investment to repower the Whitelee Windfarm, the UK’s largest onshore wind farm. The project will replace 215 existing wind turbines with 124 larger, more efficient turbines, nearly doubling the site’s generating capacity to about 1 gigawatt, which could provide electricity for approximately 650,000 homes.

The repowering project is expected to begin in 2030 and be finished by 2035. ScottishPower wants to make better use of land and grid connections by upgrading existing infrastructure to increase the generation of renewable electricity rather than building a new wind farm. It is an investment consistent with the UK’s long-term strategy to expand clean energy capacity and bolster the country’s energy security.

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Further reading: Scottish Power to make £1.5 billion upgrade to Britain’s largest onshore wind farm

Africa to receive $900 million to expand clean cooking access

Countries across Africa have secured US$900 million in new financial commitments aimed at giving citizens more access to clean cooking technologies. The funding was announced during a high-level virtual meeting hosted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Kenyan government. At the 2024 Africa Clean Cooking Summit, US$2.2 billion was pledged for cooking infrastructure. This new investment builds on the $2.2 billion, increasing total commitments to over US$3.1 billion.

Approximately one billion people across Africa still rely on charcoal and firewood for cooking, which contribute to indoor air pollution. The new funding will support cleaner fuels such as electricity, ethanol, biogas and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), helping reduce health risks caused by pollution. The move to cleaner cooking will reduce deforestation across the continent as well.  

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Further reading: Africa secures $900 million in new clean cooking commitments

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com —  Cover Photo Credit: Alexander Van Steenberge.