Contribution from the Electrification Alliance on the Smart Sector Integration Strategy

The Electrification Alliance welcomes the initiative by the European Commission to set out a comprehensive strategy for smart sector integration, which, we believe, can greatly contribute to a “green” and “digital” recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. Enhanced smart sector integration is mostly a matter of making electrification work. Direct electrification must be the top priority of the Strategy as we must ramp up rates of direct electrification from today's 24% to at least 50% by 2050. Investing in power grids and in the technologies and supply chains that will deliver climate neutrality must be central to the EU's plan for a speedy and future-proof recovery.

Here are the 5 priorities of the Alliance for a successful roadmap on the Smart Sector Integration Strategy:

• Prioritise direct electrification, as it is the most cost-effective way to decarbonise the EU economy


• Enhance demand-side flexibility across all sectors to smartly manage an energy system with large shares of renewables and reduce costs for grid extension


• Accelerate the deployment of a smart and climate-resilient electricity grid infrastructure


• Revise the Energy Taxation Directive to ensure that all energy sources can compete on an equal footing, promote clean innovative technologies and ensure competitive energy costs in Europe


• Allow renewable-based indirect electrification to play a key role for “harder to abate” sectors