EU Elections 2024: WindEurope’s five asks for the next five years

Wind energy is 20% of the electricity consumed in Europe. The EU want it to be 35% by 2030. And over half by 2050.

Wind is cheap. And the more we have of it, the less energy we need to import.

What’s more, the turbines in Europe’s wind farms are made in Europe. So it’s a strategic industry. It enhances our energy security and national security.

By 2030 wind energy will:

provide 500,000 jobs in Europe, up from 300,000 today;
save us 190 bcm of fossil fuel imports each year;
cut emissions at a rate of 262m tonnes less CO2 every year; and
contribute €49bn to the EU’s GDP.
To ensure this happens the European wind industry calls on the EU to:

1. Invest massively in electricity grids – Withbetter top-down planning and more private finance, leveraged by the European Investment Bank.

2. Accelerate the permitting of renewables, grids, and industry – Implement the good new EU rules for wind energy permitting: tighter deadlines, a one-stop-shop, overriding public interest – and all done digitally. 

3. Help heavy industry electrify – Steel, cement, and chemicals help us to build wind turbines and are central to the economy. We need to help them decarbonise – with finance, flexible state aid and an Electrification Action Plan aiming for 35% electricity in the energy mix by 2030 (up from 23% today).

4. Ensure a level playing field for Europe’s clean tech manufacturing – Use all existing EU tools to ensure fair competition in the wind turbine market. Set clear minimum standards on cyber and data security, responsible business conduct and supply chain resilience. 

5. Focus innovation on scale-up – Too many new technologies are struggling to be deployed. We need to gear research and innovation policy to help them industrialise and scale up. And radically simplify and accelerate EU funding processes.