EU Electrification Action Plan targets 46% electricity share by 2040

The European Commission released its Electrification Action Plan (COM/2026/595) on 17 July 2026, setting a binding directional target of 46% electricity in the EU's final energy mix by 2040, roughly double the current share. The plan covers industrial process heat, building heating and cooling, and road transport, the three sectors where electrification has lagged most relative to the EU's 2030 and 2050 climate trajectories.

WindEurope, responding the same day, identified the EU Emissions Trading System as the plan's critical dependency. The industry body states that without a more robust ETS, one that sustains a carbon price high enough to shift investment decisions in heavy industry and buildings, the Action Plan's demand-side targets will not be met. WindEurope does not quantify a required ETS price floor in the published summary.

Alongside COM/2026/595, the Commission released a separate public-participation toolbox aimed at accelerating renewable permitting at member-state level. Faster permitting directly affects the supply capacity needed to serve electrified load; without it, higher electricity demand would land on an insufficiently expanded grid and generation base, pressuring wholesale prices and capture rates across all zones.