The EU said in December it plans to accelerate approvals for power‑grid projects and develop EU‑wide plans for cross‑border electricity infrastructure, responding to industrial complaints that energy costs are undermining competitiveness. The message is plain: the transition is becoming a grid story.

Clean generation is no longer the only bottleneck. Without transmission upgrades, renewables pile up where they are produced and prices spike where demand is concentrated. Citizens and firms experience the transition as cost, not progress.

Fast‑tracking approvals raises trade‑offs. Shorter permit times can unlock investment, but weakened processes risk backlash if communities feel bypassed or if cybersecurity and ownership concerns are mishandled.

The practical climate question is sequencing: whether Europe can build the wires, substations, and interconnectors quickly enough to make new clean power usable where it matters most.

If permitting accelerates without losing legitimacy, grids can turn targets into delivered power. If not, congestion becomes permanent politics.