Towards a balanced European energy system

Background

This EESC opinion aims to look at how Member States can balance their growing renewable energy systems while maintaining stability and moving towards decarbonisation. The focus is on ensuring that intermittent energy sources are properly integrated into the energy system.

The energy system in Europe is becoming more unbalanced due to the growing share of weather-dependent renewable sources such as wind and solar, which are intermittent. In order to have reliable power supply, the EU needs stable energy sources, which are often fossil fuels.

A balanced European energy system is essential not only to ensure energy stability and balance, but also to achieve climate goals, making use of regional potential, promoting economic growth and social impact, and advancing technological innovation and leadership.

Key points

The EESC:

• considers energy affordability, carbon neutrality and energy security to be the core objectives of a balanced energy system.
• emphasises the need to maintain baseload generation and a diverse clean energy mix to balance supply and demand, including intermittent and constant production, controllable and non-controllable sources and regional energy differences.
• calls for an examination of how to make better use of underexploited sources (e.g. geothermal energy for electricity, biogas for local production) and to accelerate innovation (efficiency, digitalisation, grid flexibility, sectoral integration).

Additional information

Section: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN)

Opinion number: TEN/847

Opinion type: Own-initiative

Rapporteur: Zsolt Kükedi (Group III - Hungary)

Co-rapporteur: Philippe Charry (Group II - France)

Date of adoption by section: 27 May 2025

Result of the vote: 70 in favour, 3 against, 4 abstentions

Date of adoption in plenary: 18-19 June 2025

Result of the vote: 140 in favour, 3 against, 1 abstention

Contact

Marco Pezzani

Press Officer

Tel.: +32 2 546 9793 | Mob: +32 470 881 903

E-mail: marco.pezzani@eesc.europa.eu

Giorgia Bordignon

Administrator

Tel.: +32 546 8535

E-mail: giorgiaandrea.bordignon@eesc.europa.eu