Transmission for the energy transition

The policy brief highlights a disconnect between European transmission system operator (TSO) grid plans and actual energy policy targets or market outlooks. It argues that current regulatory requirements, which force TSOs to rely on outdated national legislation, lead to under-planned capacity and increased grid congestion. The author recommends that the European Commission provide guidance on anticipatory planning and that national regulators expand their oversight to assess the adequacy of grid plans beyond mere cost implications.

• An analysis of 26 transmission system operators (TSOs) in Europe revealed that 11 grid plans were based on energy scenarios that significantly undershot existing policy targets, risking delays in necessary investments and worsening grid congestion.
• Current regulatory frameworks prevent anticipatory planning because TSOs must follow targets in national legislation, which often lag behind political ambition by approximately four years due to the time required for legislative transposition and plan development.
• There is a significant gap between TSO grid plans and industry market outlooks for solar energy; 19 out of 23 assessable plans used solar capacities for 2030 that were 205 GW lower than SolarPower Europe's outlooks.
• The author recommends that the European Commission's guidance on 'anticipatory planning' under the Grids Action Plan should enable planners to use scenarios reflecting current technology trends and policy discussions, and that regulators should shift from focusing solely on costs to assessing grid plan adequacy.

APA

Cremona, E. (2024). Transmission for the energy transition. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/03/Policy-Brief-2-pager.pdf

Chicago

Cremona, Elisabeth. Transmission for the energy transition. Ember, 2024. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/03/Policy-Brief-2-pager.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cremona |first1=Elisabeth |title=Transmission for the energy transition |publisher=Ember |date=10 April 2024 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/03/Policy-Brief-2-pager.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cremona2024transmission, author = {Cremona, Elisabeth}, title = {{Transmission for the energy transition}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/03/Policy-Brief-2-pager.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }