Fitness Check on EU Energy Security
The European Commission has just published a ‘fitness check’ of EU legislation on electricity and gas security of supply, looking both at past performance and what lies ahead. The document acknowledges that energy security in the EU will look very different in a decarbonised, electrified and geopolitically changed energy system.
✅ Key future developments include:
- The evolving role of electricity and natural gas in a highly electrified, integrated energy system.
- Protecting consumers and critical energy needs amid electrification and the phase-out of natural gas.
- The growing role of new energy carriers such as biomethane and hydrogen.
- Diversification of supply in response to geopolitical shifts and a stronger focus on homegrown clean energy.
- The importance of critical raw materials for resilient clean-tech supply chains.
- The increasing impact of climate change on EU energy security.
☑️ These points are clarified by the following:
📌 The energy transition will have a profound effect on the future security of gas and electricity supply. Phasing out imported fossil fuels and instead relying on homegrown renewable energy sources will have a substantial positive impact on the EU’s energy security. At the same time, a more electrified and decarbonised energy system requires a different management approach, with greater flexibility.
📌 Biomethane will become increasingly relevant for energy security. Under the Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas Package, biomethane is now explicitly included in the definition of “natural gas”, meaning the Gas Security of Supply Regulation will apply to it from 2025 onwards. However, biomethane has very different characteristics compared to fossil gas: seasonal production, strong reliance on local resources, and predominantly decentralised injection into distribution grids. Importantly, biomethane-fired generation is still expected to contribute to electricity security by 2050 by providing flexible backup for variable renewables.
📌 Hydrogen will also become important for the future energy security framework, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors, and as a source of flexibility for the power system. Long-term storage, e-gases and e-fuels can all support security of supply. However, hydrogen will not simply “replace” natural gas. Its system role will be fundamentally different, and the deployment of electrolysers must be carefully aligned with grid capacities and broader decarbonisation pathways.
Overall, this ‘fitness check’ makes one thing very clear:
- Energy security is no longer just about conventional fuels;
- Energy security is about system design, flexibility, resilience, and smart regulation.