Solar to power the Coalition of the Willing

“We are living in the most momentous and dangerous of times.” Earlier this month, European Commission President von der Leyen did not need to elaborate on the nature and severity of the threats facing Europe. We know them well. Accordingly, the President’s ReArm Europe plan hopes to mobilise €800 billion of national defence funding. Fortunately, if we know our threats well, at least we know our shields – including renewable energy.  

The IEA report that, over the course of 2022-23, half of Ukraine’s power generation capacity was either occupied by Russian forces, destroyed, or damaged. We have been working with our members and partners in Ukraine to support the installation of solar on hospitals and schools to help keep the lights on. A decentralised energy system is resilient to attack. Solar is not a pipeline that can be shelled or a tap to be turned off. It follows that ReArm Europe should include public funding for the energy transition. 

There has been exactly one use of emergency EU law to boost solar and renewable energy deployment. In December 2022, EU leaders used the fast-track EU legislative procedure to lay down a framework to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy. In the face of the energy crisis, and the continents efforts to get off Russian gas, the law cut down administrative waiting times and contributed to the solar boom of the early 2020s.  

According to Ember, since 2019, European solar and wind have replaced 92 billion tonnes of gas, saving Europe €59 billion in fossil costs. Solar stepped up in crisis. Let us keep delivering for Europe. The Readiness 2030 agenda should include a new EU emergency package for renewables and flexibility.

Any package should start with clear planning and assessment of flexibility needs across Europe. Then developers need to know their flexibility services will be rewarded fairly. On the ground, a renewables and flexibility package means getting more flexibility services online faster (like energy storage or flexible buildings)incentivising the use of energy when its most abundant, and supporting the rapid electrification of transport and industry.   

Germany already sets an interesting case for the intertwining of renewable energy and security. A new package has just allocated €500 billion for infrastructure and climate neutrality, alongside unlocked limits on defence spending. This is a direction that can be replicated across other EU member states, and goes hand-in-hand with the EU competitiveness agenda. Climate, competitiveness, security are three sides of the same triangle of prosperity. 

The Clean Industrial Deal seeks structurally lower energy prices to help European industry survive and compete. We’ve crunched the numbers, and a flexible, electrified energy system will reduce annual energy system costs by €30 billion by 2030 and €160 billion by 2040. These savings are explicitly drawn from reduced imports of fossil fuels. That’s less European money spent in parts of the world that are not invested in global peace and stability.   

Renewables savings are already proven on the ground. WindEurope mapped the EU countries with low spot market electricity prices, and they each tick three boxes, a higher renewable energy share, a lower fossil energy share, and growing electrification. The evidence can be no clearer, the energy transition should be treated with the same vigour as Europe’s security agenda. 

Powering the equivalent of 80 million European homes today, solar is delivering for Europe. It is the fastest growing energy in the world. In most of the world, it’s the cheapest electricity source to ever exist. It’s quick to deploy, it’s cheap to run, and it offers precious security to our citizens and industry. It represents more competitiveness, and stronger security.  

As the continent sits at this precipice, and countries around the world unite in a coalition of the willing for the peace and prosperity of Ukraine and Europe, solar stands ready to join as a proven ally. Let’s not be naïve, if energy is a weapon, renewables are ammunition. No one can block out the sun. 

Walburga Hemetsberger is the CEO of SolarPower Europe.