Fwenaelle Avice Huet, the Executive Vice President of European Operations at Schneider Electric, is calling for immediate action to modernize Europe’s grid infrastructure. She makes the essential case for modernizing energy management systems as well. The havoc caused by a recent mega blackout that affected the Iberian Peninsula. Huet underlines that this incident was an important catalyst to reveal the fragility of EU’s energy resilience. During the outage, key infrastructure remained functional. This was due in part to pre-set automated load management protocols, showcasing the power of preparedness both in and outside of energy ecosystems.
Now is the time for bold and decisive action, Huet contends. She advocates for two critical steps: enhancing demand-side flexibility and reinforcing electricity grids through investment and digitalization. These three measures are essential for enabling Europe to bounce back from future power outages. They further enable the continent to prosper in an increasingly sustainable energy future.
The Rising Demand for Energy Resilience
Yet that is exactly what happened during the recent Iberian power outage, which stunned policymakers throughout the European Union. Yet it revealed glaring vulnerabilities in the continent’s energy landscape. Huet points out that many critical systems were able to maintain functionality during the crisis due to their automation capabilities. This incident only bolsters her assertion that we need to reinvigorate how we manage energy to improve resilience.
“Today, 40% of Europe’s grid is older than 40 years old. It is reaching the end of its lifecycle, and so we urgently need to move faster with modernising and digitising existing grid infrastructure, and improving its interconnectedness.” – Gwenaelle Avice Huet
Huet emphasizes that investing in advanced technologies can help strengthen Europe’s grid in anticipation of future shocks. She wants these technologies to control and orchestrate electrical distribution and enable automated, resilient outage restoration. The new challenge is to make the most of these advances. We want to make sure that all the corners of the grid can share in the rewards of modernization.
Strategies for Modernization and Flexibility
According to Huet, the European Commission estimates that approximately €584 billion in grid investments is necessary by the decade’s end to meet energy transition goals related to electrification. Her experience underscores the need for a more proactive approach to energy management, especially during peak usage periods.
“This is particularly valuable during peak periods, and makes it possible for industries to gain greater control and build genuine resilience. Consumers are already incentivized to lower their energy usage, and industries can benefit financially too from adopting a more proactive approach.” – Gwenaelle Avice Huet
The idea behind demand response programs is fundamental to improving flexibility throughout the grid. By ensuring that industries are engaged and involved, we can ensure that businesses are maximizing their energy efficiency potential – and saving money in the process. These strategies not only help to insulate individuals from hardship—they add up across the nation, making the energy network itself more resilient.
According to Huet, microgrids with on-site generation capabilities provide industries the ability to run autonomously in “island mode.” This arrangement ensures that they are always able to operate even in the event of power failure. Such flexibility might be key for sectors seeking to protect their supply chains from the next unforeseen shock.
Moving Towards a Sustainable Future
Notably, Europe is very much committed to reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. Huet knows that a move to cleaner and circular production is necessary to do so. She’s confident that meeting or exceeding the goals of the Clean Industrial Deal will encourage innovation across the rest of Europe. In addition, this alignment will boost local economies.
“The EU can reduce dependency on other regions for critical materials further by accelerating its move to a circular economy. Investing in cleaner and circular production methods under the Clean Industrial Deal will bolster innovation on European soil. Industry needs to be incentivized to produce more products where they are sold.” – Gwenaelle Avice Huet
Huet stresses that during periods of high demand, shifting non-critical loads has to be done strategically. Adding on-site generation is a huge benefit to overall resiliency. Through deploying energy storage solutions, it allows the industries to operate through minor outages efficiently while gaining cost savings.
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