The Russian invasion of Ukraine and current high energy prices have increased the need for the EU to achieve its independence from Russian fossil fuel imports and its strategic sovereignty and security, which can be boosted by the creation of a digital energy system. Increasing the digitalisation of the EU’s energy system is also essential to achieve the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate targets in a cost-effective way.
The European Green Deal and the REPowerEU Plan require a deep transformation of our energy system, which needs to become more interactive and smarter to help consumers embrace the benefits of the green transition.
The Commission is setting out actions to boost data sharing, promote investments in digital electricity infrastructure, ensure benefits for consumers and strengthen cybersecurity. With data centres and the growing appetite for online services demanding ever more resources from our energy system, today’s plan also outlines ways to decouple the energy footprint of the ICT sector from the exponential growth of data. The green and digital transition must go hand in hand.
In some areas of the energy sector, such as electric vehicles, photovoltaic installations and heat pumps, digital and smart technologies are already in place and need support to scale up. In other areas our energy system is just beginning to reap the benefits of digitalisation.