EU Power Grid Is Increasingly Congested

Congestion of the EU’s power grid increased last year and cost the bloc €4.2bn in 2023, ACER said in a report.

• Congestion management needs in the EU increased by 14.5% last year compared to 2022.
• Limited grid expansion and the sharp growth of renewable energies is likely to further increase congestion, which mean renewables generation is increasingly being curtailed, with fossil-fuel generation filling the cap.
• Rising congestion is limiting the TSO’s progress to maximise cross-border trade. The TSO’s target is to make 70% of cross-border capacity available for power trading by the end of 2025.
• The report showed that significant progress is still needed as the delay in implementing key processes, such as the capacity calculation methodologies and redispatching framework is hindering progress to achieve the cross-border trade targets.