Energy storage as systemically important infrastructure for a sovereign, affordable and resilient European Energy Union

Key points

The EESC:

• considers energy storage necessary to ensure the energy transition is feasible, affordable, socially fair, and territorially balanced. Yet, the EU lacks a related comprehensive strategy; 

• calls on the Commission to present common guidelines and strategies on: 

  • integrating storage plans into NECPs and ensuring the development of storage, proportional to the development of renewable energy sources; 

  • producing and importing critical materials without creating new dependencies; 

  • battery storage system maintenance, life extension, reuse and recycling; 

  • integrating storage into policies for decentralised solutions, energy communities and vulnerable consumers;

  • interconnecting storage with the digitalisation and cybersecurity of energy infrastructure, including resilience against cyberattacks and hybrid threats as well as planning of new data centers, based on criteria including the availability of grid capacity, energy efficiency, flexibility, security of supply and the fair allocation of costs;

• welcomes the Commission’s announcement that the scope of the current National Escape Clause for defence spending could be broadened to reduce the dependence on imported fossil fuels, thereby contributing to Europe’s security and defence; and the possibility this creates to use this additional flexibility to invest in storage technology and green energy infrastructure;

• considers that market-based investment alone will not deliver the necessary scale, timing and type of storage. This makes public strategic planning, complementary public funding, European Investment Bank support, regulated markets, public ownership, regulated asset models, public-community partnerships, regulatory frameworks and long-term investment models essential; 

• stresses that energy storage infrastructure forms part of services of general interest and should be treated accordingly, including through planning and funding instruments and, where appropriate, public ownership or control;

• calls for EU storage policies to support quality job creation, upskilling, technical education and social dialogue. The EU needs to link technological progress to high labour and social standards.