The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), the association representing Europe’s transmission system operators (TSOs), has released its position on the European Commission’s (EC) Electrification Action Plan, adopted on July 17, 2026. The position paper outlines the importance of accelerating electrification to achieve Europe’s decarbonisation, competitiveness and energy security objectives, highlighting the need for coordinated development of electricity grids, increased transmission capacity and a more flexible power system to support rising electricity demand.

The position paper emphasises that electrification, grid reinforcement and expansion, and efficient power system operation must progress simultaneously. The increasing deployment of electric vehicles, heat pumps and electrified industrial processes, alongside growing electricity consumption from data centres and electrolysers, will require a resilient, affordable and flexible electricity system.

ENTSO-E identifies three key factors for the successful implementation of the Action Plan:

  • Enabling timely investment in grid infrastructure through adequate financing, faster permitting procedures, and resilient supply chains. 
  • Unlocking flexibility across electricity generation, consumption, storage, and optimised grid use. 
  • Improving the management of grid connection requests to accelerate access to the grid. 

It also supports establishing an ambitious indicative electrification target for 2040, providing clarity to stakeholders and investors while guiding electrification efforts without imposing overly prescriptive national or sectoral policies. Furthermore, it stresses the importance of reinforcing and efficiently utilising existing electricity grids, expanding transmission capacity, accelerating grid connections and updating network codes and requirements to accommodate growing electricity demand and increasingly diverse generation and consumption profiles across Europe.

ENTSO-E highlights that the success of the Action Plan will depend on timely grid development, regulatory frameworks that incentivise investment, greater flexibility and faster permitting, noting that more than half of the transmission projects required by 2030 are still awaiting permits. It has expressed its readiness to support the implementation of the Action Plan, working alongside TSOs to provide technical expertise on grid development and solutions for the efficient integration of energy storage into the electricity system.

The full report can be accessed here.