In her 2025 State of the Union address, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasised the growing link between economic competition and national security. She underlined the need for Europe to invest in digital and clean technologies to secure its position in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
She highlighted the Clean Industrial Deal as central to strengthening Europe’s independence, including phasing out Russian fossil fuels, boosting domestic clean tech manufacturing, and completing the EU Single Market through a new roadmap to 2028.
Key priorities include accelerating electrification, supported by initiatives for electric vehicles, batteries, and direct use of electricity. Grid development was also identified as critical, with a European Grids Package due later this year and a European Energy Highways plan to address eight cross-border bottlenecks.
The address linked competitive electricity prices to Europe’s industrial future, stressing the role of renewables in lowering costs for households and businesses. Measures to stimulate demand for domestic clean technologies include a “made in Europe” procurement criterion and a new Industrial Accelerator Act.
WindEurope welcomed the Commission’s commitment but noted that only 5.3 GW of new wind capacity was installed in the first half of 2025, far short of what is needed to reach 2030 targets. The organisation called on national governments to accelerate permitting under the Renewable Energy Directive, expand grids, remove barriers to electrification, and stabilise auctions with reliable two-sided Contracts for Difference.
