The European Commission wants to centralise network development at European level

The European Commission wants to take control of high-voltage electricity network planning and speed up authorisation procedures for the construction of electricity transmission lines. The Commission estimates that congestion costs will rise from €5.2 billion in 2022 to €26 billion in 2030. Insufficient interconnection capacity between Member States will halve trade and prevent renewable generation assets from operating at full capacity, resulting in an estimated loss of production of 310 TWh. The European Commission wants to limit the time taken to examine high-voltage line projects to two years. Eight priority projects have been identified, including the strengthening of interconnections between France and Spain, the interconnection between Cyprus and the continent, and the hydrogen corridor between Tunisia and Germany.