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IEA chief says Europe’s slow electrification weakens competitiveness
Europe’s electricity share of energy use is about 23.0%, below countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea, which are above 30.0%, the IEA chief said.
The head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, warned Europe made a major mistake by not moving away quickly enough from reliance on imported fossil fuels following the 2022 energy crunch.
Birol said Europe’s low electrification rate, with electricity representing roughly 23.0% of energy consumed in the EU, is holding back competitiveness and what he called Europe’s economic sovereignty.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Birol argued Europe needs to electrify its economy faster after facing two energy crises in less than five years, and he pointed to China, Japan, and South Korea as examples with electrification rates above 30.0%.
The outlet also noted Europe’s energy commissioner, Dan Jorgenson, acknowledged the EU’s heating, transport, and industrial sectors still rely on imported fossil fuels, a dependence that has left countries scrambling amid conflict in the Middle East after damage to oil fields and ports constrained global supply, according to the report.