Gas expansion in the guise of security: Is Europe making the energy crisis permanent?

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A new report by Beyond Fossil Fuels (BFF) warns that Europe’s response to the energy crisis is locking the continent into decades of fossil fuel dependence
• Governments are planning nearly 60 GW of new gas-fired power plants, framed as flexible energy and security solutions, risking stranded assets and higher long-term costs for households

🔭 The context: The surge in gas capacity is concentrated in Germany, Poland, and Romania
• Germany alone plans 12 GW of new plants by 2031, with 10 GW hydrogen-ready, relying on carbon capture for “decarbonisation”
• Poland and Romania’s state-backed utilities are similarly expanding gas projects, often excluding clean alternatives like battery storage or demand-side flexibility from capacity planning

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Adding fossil gas infrastructure prolongs greenhouse gas emissions and climate vulnerability, undermining EU climate targets
• Each new gas plant locks in decades of CO2 emissions and incentivizes continued extraction, while investments in renewables, storage, and smart grid technologies could provide cleaner, cheaper, and more resilient energy alternatives

⏭️ What’s next: BFF urges EU leaders at the European Council to adopt a long-term framework reducing structural fossil fuel dependence, with measurable targets and accelerated investment in renewables, storage, and grid infrastructure
• Policymakers face pressure to shift focus from fossil “flexibility” toward sustainable, cost-efficient energy solutions

💬 One quote: “Energy security cannot be used as a pretext for making the fossil fuel industry even richer through new gas deals. European households and businesses need exactly the opposite: lower bills, greater resilience and freedom from fossil fuel price shocks.” – Juliet Phillips, Beyond Fossil Fuels

📈 One stat: The planned 60 GW of new gas-fired plants would consume roughly 28 billion cubic metres of gas annually, equivalent to the yearly gas use of 46.4 million European households

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