EASE has published its 2023 Activity Report. In 2023, EASE embraced several opportunities, and sustained its position as the main European advocate for energy storage in the continent’s energy landscape.
March 2024 / Campaigns Policy Papers
ENERGISE EUROPE, EMPOWER ITS PEOPLE
How can Europe simultaneously ensure energy security, embrace the sustainability challenge, and lead in innovation?
What if there's a key to unlocking a resilient future for our Union?
This spring, European citizens are called to shape the vision of the next 5 years.
Against the backdrop of importing nearly 60% of its energy, Europe has yet to achieve true strategic autonomy. Recent geopolitical events, particularly Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have led to soaring energy prices, calling for a revaluation of energy markets and a strengthening of Europe’s energy security.
The energy price spikes in 2021 and 2022 have shown that industrial competitiveness and economic growth are interlinked with energy policy. European industries were confronted with elevated and volatile prices, whereas competitors abroad enjoyed the advantage of lower electricity costs. Regrettably, energy expenses for consumers have also surged, causing further economic strain across society.
The European Union, despite its ambitious initiatives like the European Green Deal, faces challenges in meeting its 2030 climate targets. Without stronger policies encouraging investments in cleantech, the EU risks missing its climate objectives.
In light of these interconnected challenges, such as energy security, economic growth, consumer protection, and climate change, energy storage emerges as a crucial tool to address these issues. This manifesto outlines four key goals and corresponding actions that prioritise energy storage, positioning it at the forefront of Europe’s energy system.
1.
Accelerate regulatory changes in Member States to eliminate persistent barriers. Ensure ambitious National Energy and Climate Plans, in line with EU’s Recommendations on storage.
Fully implement the Clean Energy Package, and swiftly transpose the Electricity Market Design.
Address the legal ambiguities in the Clean Energy Package. For example, clarify that the same energy storage facility can be used by different actors for different services, stacking revenues and improving social welfare.
2.
Develop an energy storage strategy to underscore political commitment and stimulate investments.
Address the coherence and complementarity of the tools and support schemes for storage that are leveraged by Member States – e.g. Auctions, Contract for Differences, and Capacity Markets.
Clarify how state aid for manufacturing and deployment of energy storage should be aligned in terms of policy priorities.
3.
Align the EU Heating and Cooling Strategy with the climate and energy security imperatives. This incentivises renewable and clean technologies such as energy storage for households and Industry.
4.
Accelerate the transition to climate neutrality by swiftly writing into law the proposed emissions reduction target by 2040 – therefore catalysing investments that facilitate the deployment of renewables and energy storage.
5.
Introduce new market products and develop local flexibility markets. This integrates new renewable sources, limits curtailment, and solves network constraints and congestion in a cost-efficient manner.
6.
Ensure fair grid fees, charges and eliminate double taxation for energy storage. Energy storage’s positive effects to the grid should be taken into account.
Conclusion
In closing, this manifesto underscores the critical role of energy storage in shaping a resilient future for Europe. The transformative power of energy storage emerges as the key to simultaneously ensuring a carbon-free planet, bolstering energy security, lowering energy bills, and enhancing competitiveness for industries.
In essence, this manifesto calls for a comprehensive EU strategy on energy storage. Vital for independence and security, energy storage not only fortifies our grid against climate challenges but also emerges as a practical and cost-effective solution to replace polluting capacity and use more home grown renewables. By accelerating decarbonisation through innovative storage solutions, we ensure a cleaner, more flexible, and secure energy future for Europe.
Let's accelerate decarbonisation with innovative storage solutions, leading Europe toward a resilient future!
EASE has published its 2023 Activity Report. In 2023, EASE embraced several opportunities, and sustained its position as the main European advocate for energy storage in the continent’s energy landscape.
In this position paper, the Energy Storage Europe Association calls for a shift from today’s “first-come, first-served” queue system to a more efficient, strategic, and transparent framework that recognises the unique value of energy storage for reducing congestion, enhancing flexibility, and making better use of existing grid infrastructure.
Energy Storage Europe Association has published its Position Paper on Improving Permitting Procedures, highlighting the urgent need to streamline, harmonise, and modernise permitting frameworks for energy storage across the EU. Europe needs a fast, fair, and future-proof permitting framework to unlock the estimated 200 GW of energy storage required by 2030.
Energy Storage Europe Association responds to the European Commission’s Public Consultations on the Electrification Action Plan and the Heating and Cooling Strategy, highlighting the need for stronger recognition of storage as a central enabler of electrification and heating decarbonisation. This requires clearer policies to integrate storage into planning and investment pathways, along with measures to remove persistent barriers such as high upfront costs, slow permitting, unfavourable taxation, and weak market signals. Storage should be treated as a default element of a cost-effective, system-friendly transition and reflected accordingly in planning frameworks, financing tools, and flexibility market design.
The 9.5 edition of the European Market Monitor on Energy Storage (EMMES) by the Energy Storage Europe Association and LCP Delta, is now available. The EU, UK, Norway, and Switzerland together are expected to reach 100 GW of installed energy storage in November 2025. This milestone represents enough capacity to meet the peak electricity demand of Germany and the Netherlands. With storage capacity forecast to grow by a further 115% by 2030, this will play a crucial role in Europe’s energy transition, creating more space for renewables on the grid.
