European leaders call for urgent energy infrastructure investments

European leaders and energy executives are emphasizing the urgent need for structural energy investments to ensure economic competitiveness and security. During her State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen identified the restart of the European economy as a top priority, driven by the goal of energy independence. She advocated for increased investment in renewables, nuclear energy, biomethane, and electrical infrastructure to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Von der Leyen noted that doubling the share of electricity by 2040 could reduce annual fossil fuel import costs by 260 billion euros. She highlighted that energy policy is directly linked to industrial competitiveness, as high energy prices threaten the European industrial base.

In a related context at the Energy Forum in Geneva, Georgos Stassis, CEO of the Greek Public Power Corporation (PPC), stated that Europe can no longer afford to merely set ambitious goals but must move immediately toward implementation. He identified four priorities for a green and digital transition: harmonizing European regulatory frameworks to reduce bureaucracy, utilizing Artificial Intelligence in electricity networks, improving grid management through transparent mapping, and developing integrated energy-digital ecosystems, such as the 1GW mega data center being developed by PPC in Kozani.