Introducing the Electrification Alliance Newsletter

6 January 2026

Welcome to the first issue of Watt’s Next, the Electrification Alliance’s newsletter! Watt’s Next will take you every month through all things electrification and how we can accelerate the transition to an electrified economy. This first issue will take you through our eponymous conference which happened in Brussels a couple of weeks ago, including the official launch of the Electrification Staircase, and news from the Policy world, the Alliance, and our members!

On 9 December, Watt’s Next: The Electric Pathway to a Competitive, Secure Industry in Europe brought together policymakers, industry leaders and energy experts in Brussels for a full day of discussion on the role of electrification in Europe’s industrial transformation.

The event opened with a strong message: we’re now in Act II of the energy transition. Act I’s results are here: our power sector is ¾ clean and getting cleaner by the week. Now begins Act II, which is about using that clean European power in our buildings, transport and industry. With the European Commission preparing its Electrification Action Plan for 2026, the timing could not be more relevant.

A standout moment of the day was the unveiling of the Electrification Staircase, created by co-authors Dr Silvia Madeddu from Schneider Electric, Thomas Butler from the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) and William Drake from Liebreich Associates, and presented by co-authors Michael Liebreich and Adrian Hiel. This new framework provides a clear, structured way to understand where electrification can deliver the highest impact now and how Europe can prioritise solutions that replace fossil fuels effectively. Derived from the Hydrogen Ladder, the staircase will hopefully become a reference point for how we can electrify fast and efficiently.

Plenary discussions, featuring contributions from Kingsmill Bond, Laurence Tubiana, Kristian Ruby, and Seán Kelly MEP amongst others, explored the broader landscape of Europe’s energy transition. Speakers addressed the need for a stable investment environment, faster permitting, stronger grid infrastructure, and policies that support industrial electrification at scale.

The afternoon’s breakout sessions moved from high-level strategy to practical pathways. These sessions examined topics such as grid connection challenges for industry, the role of hybrid renewable assets, flexibility opportunities in energy-intensive sectors, and solutions to accelerate deployment across the EU. The exchanges highlighted both the obstacles and the remarkable momentum behind electrification across multiple sectors.

The day concluded with a live recording of Foresight’s Watt Matters podcast, hosted by Kira Taylor, bringing together different perspectives on what Europe must prioritise in the next phase of the transition.

Across all sessions, one message came through clearly: electrification is emerging as the backbone of Europe’s industrial strategy, enabling cleaner production, lowering energy dependency, and reinforcing Europe’s global competitiveness.

Watt’s Next demonstrated the strong alignment between policymakers, industry, civil society and the energy community. The Electrification Alliance looks forward to continuing this work with partners across Europe as the EU moves closer to defining its electrification agenda for 2026 and beyond.

But in the meantime, we wish you a Happy New Year!

Policy News:

On 10 December, the European Commission unveiled its new Grids Package.

The Package sends a strong signal on accelerating Europe’s grid rollout. Moving beyond the first-come, first-served principle for grid connection, granting overriding public interest status to infrastructure projects, introducing targeted permitting rules for energy storage and creating a new EU-level governance for network planning are all steps in the right direction. That said, clarity and stability remain key. While the proposed permitting improvements are welcome, amendments to the Renewable Energy Directive should not go beyond what is set out in the Commission’s proposal. Safeguarding the agreed framework and implementing it swiftly must remain the priority if Europe is to electrify its energy system at the pace required.

On 16 December, the European Commission presented its Automotive Package.

Unfortunately, part of the Package includes a weakening of the 2035 phase-out of combustion engine sales. Reversing the phase-out of combustion engine sales sends a confusing signal to the European car industry and consumers. Analysis by Electrification Alliance member T&E shows that the proposal will lead to 25% fewer battery electric vehicles sold in 2035. Under the proposal, carmakers could continue selling cars with engines despite the EU’s aim to have the last polluting cars off its road by 2050.

The proposal also includes

National targets for EV company cars – but they are not ambitious enough to drive rapid uptake in a sector which should be leading Europe’s electrification efforts.
A plan to promote the production of small EVs that allows each one sold to count as 1.3 zero-emission cars towards a carmaker’s CO2 target.
The EU Battery Booster strategy, which fails to secure any new finance for the EU battery industry but would make foreign investment contingent on technology sharing and skills transfer.

News from the Electrification Alliance:

The Electrification Alliance published a new paper in December setting out 11 recommendations for the upcoming Electrification Action Plan, outlining concrete measures to accelerate electrification across European homes and industries.
The Watt Matters podcast, recorded during the Watt’s Next conference and featuring our Director, Adrian Hiel, is now available on the Foresight Climate & Energy website.
The material from our Watt’s Next event is available online.