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On 30 January 2025, the CPMR Islands Commission and the Clean Energy for EU Islands (CE4EUI) Secretariat organised a joint conference in Brussels, dedicated to the crucial topic of “Strengthening EU islands’ grids and electricity systems towards a 100% renewable supply”.
Islands’ electricity grids are at the heart of the energy transition in these territories, as they ensure the security and stability of energy supply and enable a higher integration of renewable energy.
However, as pointed out by the report released by the CE4EUI Secretariat in 2023, key challenges remain to be addressed regarding islands’ energy transition, including strategic spatial planning, legislative tailoring of grid codes to islands’ specificities, and the needs for adequate capacity building and financial support.
With the organisation of this joint conference, the CPMR Islands Commission and the Clean Energy for EU Islands notably intended to highlight the importance of islands’ grids, building on the existing EU Grids Action Plan in the framework of the larger discussion on the upcoming Electrification Action Plan.
High-level representatives from the European Parliament, the European Commission and CPMR Member regions opened the meeting, welcoming its determinant timing within the first 100 days of the new European Commission’s mandate. In particular, MEP Tonino Picula stressed the potential for islands to lead the way of the EU energy transition, with the opportunity of aligning competitiveness and green policies. Alejandro Ulzurrun De Asanza Y Munoz, Acting Director of Just Transition, Consumers, Efficiency and Innovation at DG ENER, highlighted the central question of electricity grids among the priorities of the new EC mandate, and welcomed the reflections developed by the 30 islands supported by CE4EUI and engaged towards decarbonation by 2030.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
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Filip Reinhag, President of the CPMR and Regional Councillor at the Gotland Region pointed out that islands have both the potential and the strength to be at the forefront of the energy transition in Europe. While acknowledging the efforts of the EU to accelerate this process, he called however for appropriate legislative and financial supports for islands territories, which still heavily rely on traditional energy sectors.
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The first panel, moderated by Guglielmo Migliori, CPMR Senior Policy Officer for Energy, was dedicated to discussing the planning and the electrification of EU islands, including a focus on the enabling legislative framework for the successful deployment of renewable energy systems. Diego Viu Dominguez, Director General for Circular Economy, Energy Transition, and Climate Change at the Government of the Balearic Islands, and Santiago Díaz Ruano from the Canary Islands Institute of Technology, provided insightful perspectives from their respective Regions, addressing notably spatial planning constraints and energy prices in islands. Among other speakers, Diogo Vasconcelos, representing the Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira, also took part in the panel, presenting key solutions for upgrading power grids.
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During the second panel, moderated by Jan Cornillie, Project Coordinator at the CE4EUI Secretariat, European Institutions, regional authorities and private sector representatives discussed the required steps towards a Pact for Engagement for Islands Grids.
In this second panel’s discussion, Filip Reinhag presented the ongoing reflections of Gotland regarding green hydrogen networks in the Baltic Sea, in a context of serious security concerns for the region, highlighting the potential for islands to act as energy hubs. He also stressed the relevance of multi-level governance, ensuring that regional authorities are properly involved at all stages of their energy transition. In addition, Joana Ferreira Rita, Regional Director for Energy at the Government of the Azores, insisted on the key dimension of energy storage to fully unlock the potential of renewable energy in islands, and reiterated the importance of integrating the private sector perspective into these reflections.
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Finally, it is worth mentioning that representatives from the European Investment Bank and the DG REGIO took also part in the panel, presenting relevant past projects funded by the EIB and Cohesion Policy.
Concluding the event, Jan Cornillie, Project coordinator at the CE4EUI Secretariat, and Claire Helly, Policy and project officer at the CPMR Islands Commission, warmly thanked all speakers and attendees, and recalled the importance of tailored-made solutions to address islands’ specific challenges in their energy transition.
A networking cocktail closed this successful conference, which counted on the participation of around/more than 80 attendees and set the basis for further reflections with all relevant stakeholders on the topic.