BRUSSELS — The European Commission says it wants to derive 46 percent of the European Union’s total energy from electricity by 2040 — double the current level — but has backed away from setting a legally-binding target.
The Electrification Action Plan, unveiled by EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen on Friday, aims to reduce Europe’s reliance on imported oil and gas while lowering energy costs for households and industry. The commission estimates that hitting the electrification target would cut oil demand by 40 percent and gas demand by 70 percent.
“The age of fossil fuels is coming to an end,” EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen said Friday. “Today we are proposing to double the electrification rate in Europe. This is not a small thing. It took us from the Stone Age till now to get to 23 percent, and now we want to double it in 14 years.”
But exactly how the EU will ensure it meets that target was less clear. In an earlier draft obtained by POLITICO, the commission had proposed making the target legally binding. The final plan instead sets an “indicative target” of 46 percent, with the Commission saying it will assess making it binding as part of the post-2030 Energy Union package.
