RE-Source 2026: Europe needs stronger corporate PPA market to deliver on electrification ambitions

• Europe’s push to double electrification by 2040 creates a new opportunity for PPAs to unlock private investment in homegrown renewables
• Europe contracted 5.9 GW of renewable capacity through corporate renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2026 so far
• Grid, storage and permitting barriers continue to limit the potential of wind and solar deployment

Amsterdam, November 4, 2026: Gas prices are skyrocketing. Europe’s need for home-grown clean electricity has never been greater. Electrification is now a strategic priority for Europe: to strengthen energy security, to give businesses access to affordable and predictable power, and to boost industrial competitiveness. Against this backdrop, 1,400 participants gather in Amsterdam today for the tenth edition of RE-Source, Europe’s largest renewable energy sourcing event.

Corporate renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) allow corporate offtakers to benefit directly from competitive renewable electricity, while giving wind and solar projects the long-term revenue certainty they need to attract investment. A stronger PPA market puts clean power directly in the hands of European businesses and makes them less dependent on fluctuating gas prices.

In July, the European Commission published its Electrification Action Plan, setting a target to double Europe’s electrification rate to 46% by 2040. The plan recognises the need to remove barriers to PPAs. But this ambition has yet to translate into concrete policies that expand market-driven electrification.

The need for action is urgent. Europe contracted 5.9 GW of capacity through corporate renewable PPAs so far in 2026, a 9.7% decline compared with the same period in 2025. The PPA market is under pressure. More frequent zero and negative electricity prices are increasing risks for sellers and buyers and can make long-term, pay-as-produced PPAs less attractive, particularly for buyers that cannot easily adjust their electricity consumption.

As a first step, recognising PPAs as part of the EU’s decarbonisation solutions and supporting them through the EU ETS Investment Booster can help mobilise the private investment needed for electrification. Building on this, acknowledging Guarantees of Origin in carbon accounting would boost investment in renewable capacity and properly reward businesses as they electrify. 

On the offtaker side, more flexible demand, storage, stronger grids and well-designed support schemes are needed to reduce these risks and preserve the business case for corporate renewable procurement.

On the supply side, wind deployment is on track for a record year in 2026, while solar deployment remains close to the record level set in 2024. But insufficient investment in modern grids and battery storage, and slow permitting continue to constrain both technologies. Resolving these bottlenecks will reduce curtailment and negative prices, reassure investors and get urgently needed projects built.

Marking the 10th anniversary of RE-Source, Annie Scanlan, Managing Director at RE-Source, said: “High gas prices show why Europe needs to electrify with home-grown renewables. Corporate PPAs give businesses direct access to competitive clean electricity and provide projects with the certainty they need to invest. Europe must now turn its electrification ambitions into concrete policies that help the PPA market grow. Our energy security and competitiveness demand it.” This is why RE-Source continues to be a pivotal event to connect demand with supply of clean, competitive, home-grown renewable energy.