The energy transition can only be implemented efficiently if it is planned and performed jointly at the European level, according to the power grid operator of Germany’s Baden-Württemberg region.

TransnetBW, one of Germany’s four electricity transmission grid operators, launched a new study on Monday (27 June), which calls for greater EU involvement in energy planning to reduce the cost of the transition to a zero-emission energy system.

While Russia’s war in Ukraine focuses the EU’s attention on gas supplies and energy security, the climate emergency also “calls for a radical transition” to ensure Europe’s energy independence, said Bodo Lehmann, the head of the Baden-Württemberg state representation in Brussels.

“While the future is uncertain, the rising impact of climate change and the necessity for a paradigm shift, I think, is undeniable,” explained Werner Götz, the CEO of TransnetBW, who spoke at a Brussels event on 13 June to present the study’s findings.

And the EU’s role in driving this transition “is of utmost importance,” he insisted.

“Our conclusion is that the Energiewende is only possible with a European approach,” Götz said.

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