150 New Power Plants: The Cost of Balancing the Grid If the EU Slashes EV Targets
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
The EU's plan to scale back electric vehicle targets would make the transition to renewables more expensive, requiring 150 new power plants to compensate for the loss of storage capacity. Electric vehicles act as "batteries on wheels," absorbing excess wind and solar energy and feeding it back into the grid during peak demand. Weakening EU car CO2 targets would result in 49 million fewer EVs on European roads by 2040, leading to wasted excess energy and reduced solar PV deployment. The study finds that EU countries would need to provide new power generation to make up for the difference, equivalent to building 150 extra power plants, and spend an extra €4 billion a year upgrading grid infrastructure.
💡 Why It Matters
- · Scaling back EV targets would suffocate solar deployment and change the business case for renewables.
- · Fewer EVs would mean less storage capacity, resulting in 25% more renewable electricity being curtailed and requiring additional power generation.
