IEA Chief Calls Europe's Slow Electrification a "Major Mistake" That Left It Exposed

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said Europe should have moved faster to electrify after the 2022 gas crisis and called the slow pace a major strategic error. He argues that electrification, meaning more electric transport, heat pumps, and electrified industry, is the most reliable way to reach energy independence because it cuts fossil-fuel imports.

The numbers he cites are stark. Europe's electrification rate has stagnated near 23 percent over the past decade, behind Japan, Korea, and China. While 85 gigawatts of renewables were connected to the European grid last year, some 600 gigawatts of completed projects could not connect because the grid was not there to carry the power. Birol warned that it is a mistake to assume Europe is "off the hook" on energy security, and noted that electricity in many EU countries still costs two to three times as much as gas, which weakens the case for switching.

The tension is between a security argument and a price signal. Electrifying reduces dependence on imported fuel, but until grids are expanded and power is cheaper than gas, households and industry have little reason to make the switch on their own.