EU Sees Electricity Production Doubling by 2050 to Reach Net Zero
- Greater power supply needed as bloc shifts to clean economy
- EC analysis is basis for new climate goals for next decade
The commission said that the accelerated deployment of clean technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels and batteries also means the EU will require a huge ramp-up in supplies of critical raw materials.
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/BloombergThe European Union estimates it will need to more than double its electricity generation by the middle of the century and boost renewables to reach its ambitious goal of climate neutrality.
To pursue emissions reduction targets recommended by scientists for the next decade, power production will need to increase to 5,212 terawatt-hours by 2040, from 2,905 TWh in 2021, according to an analysis done by the European Commission. Output would need to further expand to 6,922 TWh by 2050 as consumers increasingly rely on electric vehicles and turn to power for home heating, while utilities use more renewables as an energy source.