Permitting and grids holding back EU wind progress

The EU built 13GW of new wind farms last year, a figure that falls well below the 30GW annual target needed to meet 2030 goals.

This was highlighted in new estimates published by WindEurope, which emphasises the three main hurdles blocking the growth of wind energy.

Not surprisingly, those hurdles include; most governments not applying the new EU permitting rules, new grid connections delayed, and the slow pace of electrification holding back demand.

“The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power which means increased competitiveness,” says WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson.

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EU permitting rules

According to WindEurope, the permitting situation actually worsened in 2024 with many countries failing to implement the new binding permitting rules.

These rules include binding permitting deadlines and the principle of overriding public interest, which have proven successful in countries that have implemented them.

Lack in grids and slow electrification

WindEurope highlights that governments are awarding more wind farms in their auctions than ever before, which bodes well for the future pipeline.

However, lack of grid access is proving to be a major bottleneck, with more than 500GW of potential wind capacity waiting for an assessment of a grid connection application.

WindEurope points to Europe's lagging grid expansion efforts, and recommends faster electrification of the economy, with electrification rates needing to increase to 61% by 2050.

WindEurope also suggests Europe increase offshore wind investments, which were significantly down in 2023 and foster the growth of corporate PPAs. The company's release states that: "Wind energy continues to attract growing interest from corporate electricity consumers...50% of all electricity contracted under new Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Europe in 2024 was wind."