Europe’s power sector pushes back against Brussels’ overregulation

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🗞️ Driving the news: European power sector representatives have written to the European Commission to express concerns over new regulations for electricity transformers, highlighting broader issues with the EU's regulatory approach

🔭 The context: The European Commission has been working on rules to decarbonize the EU’s economy, aiming to make equipment more efficient and environmentally friendly
• These include new standards for electricity transformers to reduce power losses, but these changes would require bulkier and more material-intensive devices

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: While the new rules aim to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, industry concerns suggest that the increased material use and costs might offset the environmental benefits

⏭️ What's next: The European Commission is in the early stages of reviewing these rules, with a third-party study expected to provide more information in October
• This review process includes a broad consultation to assess the impact and feasibility of the proposed regulations

💬 One quote: "The regulations devised by the EU administration in Brussels often fail to consider the realities of companies,” said Holger Schwannecke, secretary-general of the German Trades Confederation ZDH

📈 One stat: The industry states that bulkier transformers would require about 30% more material, with copper prices having increased by 60% over the past three years

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