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Europe's Energy Grid Risks Stranding 120 GW of Renewables

4/2/2026

29 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Ember warns Europe’s outdated energy grid could strand more than 120 GW of planned renewables across 20 EU countries.
Half of grid operators lack capacity to connect new wind and solar projects, with bottlenecks in several countries.
In 2024, congestion costs reached €9 billion, and 72 TWh of renewables were curtailed.
The United Kingdom is trialing discounted electricity on windy days to mitigate these issues.

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Story summary

Ember warns Europe’s outdated energy grid could strand more than 120 GW of planned renewables across 20 EU countries.
Half of grid operators lack capacity to connect new wind and solar projects, with bottlenecks in several countries.
In 2024, congestion costs reached €9 billion, and 72 TWh of renewables were curtailed.
The United Kingdom is trialing discounted electricity on windy days to mitigate these issues.