Security and efficiency: The case for connecting Europe and North America

The report argues that a transatlantic electricity interconnector could enhance grid resilience and efficiency by leveraging the complementarity of time zones and weather patterns between Europe and North America. It highlights that a six-hour time difference creates arbitrage opportunities for solar production and demand, while uncorrelated or negatively correlated wind and temperature patterns can mitigate the impact of extreme weather. The author suggests that such an interconnector could be a more cost-effective tool for security of supply and decarbonisation than alternatives like nuclear power or hydrogen, though it would require significant government support and investment.

• A six-hour time difference between France and New York provides daily complementarity for both electricity demand and solar generation, allowing Europe to export excess electricity when the US East Coast wakes up and North America to export during Europe's evening.
• Analysis of 10 years of wind data shows an overall hourly correlation of near-zero between Europe and North America, with evidence of negative correlation during the windiest days, meaning high wind in one region often coincides with lower wind in the other.
• Heatwaves and cold snaps show zero correlation between the two continents, which increases the value of interconnection by reducing the likelihood of concurrent extreme temperature events that spike electricity demand.
• Interconnection could provide a balancing mechanism for hydroelectric power, as rainfall data from Québec and Switzerland over 20 years show little correlation, with annual generation differences between wet and dry years reaching approximately 20 TWh.
• A transatlantic interconnector would differ from proposed one-way transmission lines (such as those from Morocco or Australia) by linking two large, interconnected continental grids to allow two-way energy flows and real-time price signals.
• Despite high capital costs, transatlantic interconnection may be cheaper than other policy tools for decarbonisation and security of supply, such as hydrogen or nuclear power.

APA

Jones, D. (2024). Security and efficiency: The case for connecting Europe and North America. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/12/Analysis-Security-and-efficiency-The-case-for-connecting-Europe-and-North-America.pdf

Chicago

Jones, Dave. Security and efficiency: The case for connecting Europe and North America. Ember, 2024. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/12/Analysis-Security-and-efficiency-The-case-for-connecting-Europe-and-North-America.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jones |first1=Dave |title=Security and efficiency: The case for connecting Europe and North America |publisher=Ember |date=12 December 2024 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/12/Analysis-Security-and-efficiency-The-case-for-connecting-Europe-and-North-America.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jones2024security, author = {Jones, Dave}, title = {{Security and efficiency: The case for connecting Europe and North America}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/12/Analysis-Security-and-efficiency-The-case-for-connecting-Europe-and-North-America.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }