Europe’s Electricity Grids Need a Major Boost

On a sunny afternoon, solar farms in Spain can generate far more electricity than local consumers need. But only some of that surplus can flow north to other parts of Europe because transmission links, known as interconnectors, are limited. The rest goes unused.

This is part of Europe’s energy paradox, and it’s undermining the continent’s competitiveness and energy security. Members of the European Union have built renewable electricity capacity at impressive speed: Low-carbon sources — renewables, hydro and nuclear — now provide the bulk of Europe’s electricity. Yet bottlenecks within and between national grids too often prevent that clean power from being used efficiently.