EU impact assessment for European Grids Package and preferred option

The European Commission has issued an impact assessment for the European Grids Package, supporting new legislation to strengthen EU‑wide energy infrastructure planning, permitting and security.

• Main measures and targets: The package underpins proposed revisions to the TEN‑E Regulation, Renewable Energy Directive, Electricity and Gas legislation to deliver an “optimal grid” by 2040, closing cross‑border capacity gaps (up to 108 GW needed by 2040), reducing congestion (EUR 4.2 bn in 2023) and curtailment (143 TWh potential reduction in 2040), and enabling EUR 1.2 trillion in power grid and EUR 240 billion hydrogen network investments to support electrification, renewables, hydrogen, data centers and EV charging.
• Preferred option and timelines: The report compares three policy options and identifies Policy Option 2—increased EU‑level steering with a central scenario every 4 years, a gap‑filling mechanism for missing projects, strengthened cost‑sharing, and binding, digitalised permitting rules for grids, renewables, storage and recharging stations—as the most effective and proportionate approach, with a review foreseen around 2032 after two new PCI/PMI cycles and full transposition of related directives.