European Commission sets indicative 46% electrification target for 2040

Friday, July 17, 2026Science & ClimateWell-covered3 frames

How left and right are reading this

Both agree: Electrification has stalled while imported fuels remain costly, and faster uptake will depend on making electricity more viable across transport, industry and buildings.
They split on: Whether the story is about a nonbinding plan needing stronger, fairer follow-through, or about a pragmatic push for energy security through better price signals.

The European Commission presented an electrification action plan with an indicative target for electricity to make up 46% of the EU’s energy consumption by 2040.
The Commission says the EU’s electrification rate is currently about 23%, where it has been broadly stagnant for around a decade.
The plan is aimed at increasing electrification in transport, industry and buildings.
According to the Commission, reaching the 2040 target could reduce the EU’s fossil-fuel import bill by about €260 billion per year.
The Commission links the push for electrification to reducing the EU’s dependence on imported fossil fuels and improving energy security.
The Commission has identified electricity prices relative to gas as a barrier to faster electrification and proposed policy changes including lower electricity taxation relative to gas.
The 46% target is not legally binding at this stage; the Commission says it will assess whether to make it binding in a later post-2030 Energy Union package.

The European Commission presented an electrification action plan with an indicative target for electricity to make up 46% of the EU’s energy consumption by 2040.
The Commission says the EU’s electrification rate is currently about 23%, where it has been broadly stagnant for around a decade.
The plan is aimed at increasing electrification in transport, industry and buildings.
According to the Commission, reaching the 2040 target could reduce the EU’s fossil-fuel import bill by about €260 billion per year.
The Commission links the push for electrification to reducing the EU’s dependence on imported fossil fuels and improving energy security.
The Commission has identified electricity prices relative to gas as a barrier to faster electrification and proposed policy changes including lower electricity taxation relative to gas.
The 46% target is not legally binding at this stage; the Commission says it will assess whether to make it binding in a later post-2030 Energy Union package.

Facts first. Then every angle.