IEA Director says Europe is falling behind on electrification

London (ANTARA) - Europe has made a major mistake by failing to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels quickly enough since the 2022 energy crisis, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol warned recently. According to a report published by the Financial Times (FT) on Saturday, Birol said Europe’s relatively low level of electrification is undermining the bloc’s competitiveness and economic sovereignty. Electricity accounts for about 23 per cent of the European Union’s final energy consumption, a level comparable to the United States despite Europe being far more dependent on imported fossil fuels. Birol said Europe should have responded more decisively after the 2022 gas crisis and worked to increase its electrification rate. The FT reported that the European Commission is expected to announce a series of measures in the coming days aimed at accelerating electrification across the bloc. The proposals include a push for member states to reduce electricity taxes and provide incentives for households to switch to heat pumps, electric vehicles and other green technologies. Birol also warned that inadequate grid capacity is slowing the electrification process in Europe. Although the bloc installed a record 85 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity last year, around 600 gigawatts of completed renewable energy projects are still waiting to be connected to the grid, the report said.