Investors Dialogue on Energy

Dear Reader,

We hope you had a great start of the year! Some interesting developments unfold in the last month:

• The  European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) under the theme “Powering a fair and competitive green transition” will be held on 10 to 12 June 2025 in Brussels and online. This 19th edition of Europe's largest annual gathering focusing on renewables and efficient energy use – and first under the 2nd von der Leyen Commission mandate – will focus on the main energy related priorities of the new Commission.
• The European Commission published an independent study dedicated to the net zero manufacturing industry landscape across EU countries.  It offers a comprehensive overview of the current status and recent advancements in key related sectors across all 27 EU countries, such as wind, solar and other renewable energies, batteries, carbon capture, heat pumps and other relevant technologies.
• 17 January 2025 marked the deadline for EU Member States to transpose the new Electricity Market design rules into national law, namely the new provisions of the amending Directive EU/2024/1711.
• The Commission, the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) have launched a survey on enhancing regulatory environments for stakeholder engagement in electricity infrastructure projects in the EU, under the EU’s Pact for Engagement. Targeting grid operators (TSOs and DSOs) and National Regulatory Authorities, the results will help develop chapters on stakeholder engagement for grid investment plans. Feedback is due by 23 February 2025.
• The Commission has launched 4 calls for public feedback on different secondary legislation pieces relating to the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) Regulation 2024/1735. The rules laid out in 3 implementing regulations and 1 delegated regulation are aimed at supporting the NZIA’s objective of creating a regulatory framework that boosts the competitiveness of EU industry and advances technologies crucial for decarbonisation. The input will feed into the Commission preparation of the final draft acts, before being put to EU countries in the relevant experts groups and comitology committee, and then final adoption by the Commission. More info here.

On the ID-E, we started the year with the following activities:

• The 8th ID-E Webinar Series on the SET Plan took place on Tuesday 21 January. The event report is available in this edition! Watch the recording here.
• Round 16 of WG meetings focusing on:
  • Contracts for Difference for energy production (WG1)
  • Aggregation and securitisation for infrastructure investments (WG2)
  • Financing of the EU plan to fully phase out Russian energy imports (WG3)
  • Design of the geothermal guarantee scheme (WG4)
  • Different Community-owned ownership models (WG5)

What to expect this February? Our annual ID-E Plenary meeting will take place on Thursday 27 February 2025. More information is available below.

Yours truly,

The Editor 

The Third Plenary Meeting of the Investors Dialogue on Energy will be held on Thursday 27 February 2025, from 09:30 to 16:30 CET, at the Renaissance Hotel Brussels.

Can't make it in person? No worries, the event will also be livestreamed!

The agenda will feature a range of interesting topics including the Clean Industrial Deal and the Clean energy Investment Strategy, new financial instruments across the energy value chain, and scale-up and innovation opportunities.

• 09:30-10:00: Welcome coffee
• 10:00-10:05: Opening remarks
• 10:05-10:20: Keynote speech by Ditte Juul Jorgensen, Director-General, DG ENER 
• 10:20-11:30: Policy session | The future of energy financing - between the Clean Industrial Deal and the Clean Energy Investment Strategy 
• 11:30-12:30: Technical Session 1 | Exploring new financial instruments to further mobilise investments | Outcomes from the ID-E Working Groups
• 12:30-13:45: Lunch
• 13:45-15:00: Technical Session 2 | Scale-ups: are public-private financing instruemnts fit for purpose to support growth of Europe's clean industrial projects?
• 15:00-15:15: Coffee break
• 15:15-16:15: Technical Session 3 | From research to market: Financing the future of energy innovation
• 16:15-16:30: Closing remarks

 Why You Should Attend:

• Connect with ID-E Working Group members and key stakeholders from the energy financing sector.
• Engage in dynamic discussions and exchange innovative ideas.
• Network with industry leaders and expand your professional circle.
• Stay tuned for the final agenda, which will be shared in the coming days.

Register here

21 January 2025. The 8th ID-E Webinar Series focused on the Strategic Energy Technology (SET Plan).

Established in 2007 and amplified by the creation of the Energy Union in 2015, the SET Plan stands as a cornerstone of the EU's research, innovation, and competitiveness strategy.

This webinar offered an in-depth exploration of the SET Plan as a vital instrument for driving Europe's decarbonisation strategy as it outlines a comprehensive approach to developing and deploying advanced energy technologies that can help the European Union transition to a low-carbon, sustainable, and secure energy system.

Representatives from DG ENER, DG RTD, and JRC provided a presentation on the objectives of the SET Plan, its governance structures, and recent updates that are shaping the future of energy technology in Europe.

The main topics covered in the webinar included:

• A thorough overview of the SET plan background.
• An in-depth look at the Implementing Working Group on Sustainable and Efficient Energy Use in Industry.
• Insights into the Energy Technology Implementation Platform (ETIP) for Smart Networks for Energy Transition.
• A thorough examination of the SET Plan implementation through the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) and the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership (DUT).
• The recent revision of the SET Plan, particularly the introduction of five new cross-cutting task forces, with a focus on the Access to Market task force, designed to expedite energy technology market entry by streamlining testing, financing, collaboration, and scaling to shorten the innovation cycle.

The webinar saw a dynamic Q&A session, moderated by the ID-E Team. Key topics were addressed such as the interplay between the SET Plan and the Net Zero Industry Act, and the opportunities for active participation in SET Plan activities.

Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your expertise and engage with leading voices in the energy and finance sectors. Watch the recording now and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving landscape of energy technology and sustainability.

We will be closing Round 16 of WG meetings with the following WGs: