Eurelectric has urged European governments to take decisive steps to accelerate electrification across the continent, presenting five concrete actions in a letter sent to EU Energy Ministers ahead of next week’s Energy Council meeting.

During the meeting, Ministers are expected to exchange views on electrification with Commissioners Jorgensen and Hoekstra as they shape the upcoming Electrification Action Plan. Eurelectric’s proposals aim to inform and advance this discussion, offering a roadmap to remove persistent barriers to investment, finance, and public awareness, and to put Europe’s energy transition back on a competitive track.

The five actions proposed by Eurelectric are:

1. Institutionalise the pilot auction of the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank as a permanent financing instrument.

2. Promote ‘electrification acceleration areas’ with faster grid connections and permitting processes.

3. Enable social leasing for electrification purposes across the EU.

4. Include electrification monitoring and forecasts in a revised EU Governance legislation.

5. Develop information hubs on electrification solutions and funding opportunities.

The association stressed that these measures are essential to close financing gaps, build investor confidence, and drive forward a secure, affordable, and decarbonised energy system for all Europeans.

As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reminded in her latest State of the European Union speech, “we know what brings prices down: clean homegrown energy. The future is electric.” However, electricity’s share in final energy consumption has remained stagnant at around 23% for more than a decade, far behind global competitors like China, which has already surpassed the EU’s 2030 target of 32%.

Eurelectric’s letter calls for immediate political action to ensure Europe regains its momentum in the global race toward electrification and strengthens its long-term energy competitiveness.