Europe Energy Briefs | What the young energy sector generation recommend

Europe’s ‘young energy ambassadors’ have set out 12 recommendations for the current (new) Energy Commissioner, Dan Jørgensen, for his term of office.

It's busy in Brussels currently, as the final dots and crosses are being put to the long awaited and important draft Clean Industrial Deal and accompanying Affordable Energy Action Plan.

The decarbonisation of industry is key for net zero but is complex given the breadth and scale of the companies and sectors involved.

Many organisations have presented ‘wish lists’ and some media – although not this one – appear to have had access to an early leaked version of the plan, which has given rise to a good deal of commentary and criticism, but ultimately the version that is due for release on 26 February will be definitive and we will cover it extensively then.

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In the meantime, let’s turn to recommendations recently presented by the EU’s ‘Young Energy Ambassadors’ for 2024.

This diverse group of 30 people from across Europe is an important cohort. They appear, I would guess, to be mainly 20-somethings, in the early stages of their careers, some researchers, some in energy companies, some entrepreneurs, some from other areas.

They are set to play a key role in driving the sector forward towards 2050 and beyond, both with their own efforts but also with the wider influence they can exert in attracting the necessary new talent to the sector.

And as they will be among those to witness the outcomes of these years of increasingly intense activity in the sector, they have a very personal stake in it, perhaps more so than older colleagues who won’t.

Young ambassador recommendations

So what they say, and their recommendations, based on a workshop at European Sustainable Energy Week in 2024 and presented last week to Commissioner Jørgensen, are important – and I simply summarise them here for the sake of brevity but encourage a full reading, with democratisation and equity high on the agenda and surprisingly the actual development of the infrastructure not having the prominence one might expect.

1. Flat dwellers, and in particular tenants and low income households, who face barriers to participation in the energy transition, should be supported to participate in renewable energy communities with a grant funding mechanism.

2. Shares in renewable energy projects should be reserved for citizens, both individual and in energy communities, by way of a mandatory shareholder loan instrument.

3. The Green Deal ‘Education First’ initiative should integrate comprehensive green transition topics into EU educational systems to scale up education for students and professionals.

4, Recycling in the renewable energy sector should be encouraged and a European value chain favoured as demand for renewable technologies soar.

5. A dual tariff system with separate pricing for peak and off-peak periods should be adopted in renewable energy auctions to attract better renewable integration.

6. Social and environmental conditionalities for EU funding should be mainstreamed to promote energy equity and a just energy transition.

7. Electricity market integration should be reinforced by reviewing and updating the 15% interconnection target to reflect country specific requirements.

8. A comprehensive set of European net zero standards should be defined with precise criteria for achieving net zero and enforcing the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

9. A European ‘energy academy’ should be established to address the growing need for specialised education and training with free courses tailored to various age groups and professional stages.

10. A single energy infrastructure funding hub should be created where all financing and funding instruments for energy infrastructure projects offered by EU institutions are made accessible to project developers.

11. European manufacturing of renewables and batteries should be strengthened with subsidies to foster local production and supply availability.

12. Sustainable transport modes should be made more affordable and attractive, with a reduced dependence on short distance flights.

A statement records Jørgensen’s reactions including reaffirming the EU's commitment to the green transition, stressing the need for more ambition despite the global challenges and emphasising Europe's strengths, including democracy and social models.

He also agreed with the importance of investing in skills development and the need for rapid electrification and improved energy grid interconnections to meet future energy goals and enhance system flexibility.

The statement also records that the outcome of the discussions with the young ambassadors, of which their recommendations formed the basis, will feed into the Commission’s energy policy making deliberations as part of Ursula von der Leyen’s pledge to include opinions from young people in the EU approach to achieving a clean, sustainable and fair energy transition.