CEDEC- European Federation of Local & Regional Energy Companies

🥂🌍2025: here's to a defining year for competitiveness! European Net Zero Alliance (ENZA) had the great pleasure to co-organise a New Year's Drink at the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Christian Ehler, to bring together key stakeholders in the energy transition to discuss the EU's path to net zero. Former ENZA Chair Gert De Block (CEDEC- European Federation of Local & Regional Energy Companies) and current ENZA Chair Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (Hydrogen Europe) reaffirmed ENZA's commitment to support policymakers in delivering a competitive energy transition. ENZA's strong network fosters synergies across sectors and technologies. The members of our alliance are eager to support a pragmatic and technology-open approach to achieving climate neutrality. Thank you to MEP Christian Ehler and all ENZA members and participants for joining us. Read more about ENZA in our recent publication 100 measures for 100 days: https://lnkd.in/egKD54Wq Bioenergy Europe CEDEC- European Federation of Local & Regional Energy Companies COGEN Europe ePURE: European renewable ethanol association Eurogas Cerame-Unie EUTurbines - European Association of Gas and Steam Turbine Manufacturers GEODE - The voice of local energy distributors across Europe EUGINE – The European Engine Power Plants Association Hydrogen Europe CEWEP European Builders Confederation EBC ESWET - European Suppliers of Waste-to-Energy Technology ETN Global Fertilizers Europe Solar Heat Europe (ESTIF) EHI - Association of the European Heating Industry Cepi CEFS (EU SUGAR) EWABA SMEunited European Biogas Association Euroheat & Power GIE

Today all the DSOs associations operating in Brussels (CEDEC- European Federation of Local & Regional Energy Companies, EU DSO Entity, E.DSO, Eurelectric and GEODE - The voice of local energy distributors across Europe) organised the Breakfast Energy Session "Let’s connect: Distribution grids as key enablers for clean, reliable, and affordable electricity", hosted by MEP Anna Stürgkh (European Parliament). The event was an important moment of cooperation in which we aimed to inform the new MEPs and advisors about the role and the EU relevance of #DSOs. ✒️ Opening the event, MEP Anna Stürgkh stated: “Electricity grids are the backbone of the energy transition. I am pleased to see that the relevance of distribution grids has reached the necessary attention on the EU level. It is now important to adapt the legislative framework to update grids to the needs of a decentralised, renewables based and modern energy system”. The discussion was the opportunity to hear from Director Lukasz Kolinski (DG ENER, European Commission), Mr. Krzysztof (Chris) Bolesta, Poland Secretary of State in the Ministry of Climate and Environment and MEPs who joined the event and who will work on an own-initiative report on electricity grids in the coming months. To wrap up the event, the associations presented four key measures and principles of important relevance for DSOs in the next five years. 🇪🇺 Introduce a grid mainstreaming approach to ensure DSOs’ needs are considered in every new and revised regulation. 📉 Align EU financing instruments with the net-zero targets and DSOs’ needs to gear #investments towards the required development of the distribution grid. New EU Competitiveness Funds and other funding for infrastructure should ensure easier access for DSOs to that funding, taking into account their regulation. 🤝 Ensure the #EUGreenDeal’s implementation on the ground by enabling anticipatory investments, ensuring faster-permitting procedures, supporting the #supplychain, and providing suitable and forward-looking regulatory framework to guarantee the right investment-friendly environment. 🧑🏫 Launch a European Grid Academy within the framework of the EU’s Net-Zero Academies to build and develop the right #skills in the direct & indirect grid value chain to address the labour market shortages and transformation. 👏 Thank you to all the participants for the engaging and fruitful discussion!

📢 Key Recommendations on #CircularEconomy from ENZA's #100measures100days paper: Advancing the circular economy requires recognising waste as a resource and fostering circular business models to drive sustainability and competitiveness. Key recommendations include: ✔️ Waste-to-Energy should be recognised as a sustainable, affordable, and secure source of energy and secondary materials. ✔️ The Circular Economy Act must incentivise circular business models through supporting the EU-wide development of circularity hubs for SMEs and providing easily accessible funding through circularity vouchers. ✔️ Stronger enforcement mechanisms are needed to ensure that the waste hierarchy is respected, prioritising waste prevention, recycling, and energy recovery over landfilling. This will safeguard the role of Waste-to-Energy in managing non-recyclable waste, supporting both energy transition and circular economy goals. ✔️ Possibilities and markets to trade carbon removals should be established. ✔️ Secure fair competition on global markets for renewable EU products and ensure compliance with global trade rules and EU regulations for the import of goods to the internal market. 📑 Read ENZA's full recommendations for the first 100 days of the new European Commission here: https://lnkd.in/egKD54Wq

📈 Key Recommendations on #Competitiveness from ENZA's #100measures100days paper: Enhancing EU competitiveness requires streamlined processes and cost-efficient energy solutions to sustain growth and innovation. Key recommendations include: ✔️ Prevent further erosion of carbon leakage protection—biomass decarbonisation pathways should not be penalised under the EU ETS. ✔️ Develop an export solution for EU products facing unfair competition in markets without equivalent carbon pricing. ✔️ Apply equal sustainability and quality standards to imported heating products, including pricing embedded emissions similar to EU mechanisms. ✔️ Accelerate on-site permitting and prioritise decentralised renewable and efficient energy generation for secure, affordable industrial energy. ✔️ Support efficient solutions, like cogeneration, to cut energy costs by 10–20% and boost competitiveness. ✔️ Introduce technology-neutral targets for renewable and low-carbon gases to drive GHG reductions and meet rising demand. 📑 Read the full recommendations for the first 100 days of the new European Commission here: https://lnkd.in/egKD54Wq

🎙️ Live from Paris: 👏 Congratulations to the new #CEDEC President Dr. Kai Roger Lobo, elected today with applause by the CEDEC Board of Directors ! 🌻 Warm thanks to his predecessor Dr. Urban Keussen for the excellent guidance in our work and for the trusted working together !

100 Measures for 100 Days: an ENZA initiative to accelerate the EU's transition to net-zero As the new European Commission begins its term, the European Net Zero Alliance (ENZA) shared a series of solutions that its member associations can offer to advance the green transition, and concrete recommendations to shape key policy initiatives aimed at addressing climate-neutrality and ensuring the affordability and competitiveness of Europe's energy transition. CEDEC- European Federation of Local & Regional Energy Companies, together with 23 other associations, is proud to have contributed to this paper which fosters synergies across sectors and technologies. 📑 Have a look at the full report below or read it here: : https://lnkd.in/d-8TuXEd

Fast forward. Pause? Play!    Yesterday's CEDEC annual Congress #CEDEC2024 was a great success!    Thanks to our participants and distinguished speakers Adel El Gammal, Lena Schilling, Mara Berzina, Tadhg O'Briain, Dr. Urban Keussen, Eva Hennig, Federica Sabbati, Alexandra Tudoroiu, Dick Weiffenbach, Elina Bardram, Tom Vandicke, Claire Roumet, and Jean Pierre Hollevoet for their contribution and to Sonja van Renssen for her lively moderation of the event.    There were many valuable discussions on shaping the future of the EU energy transition. Here are 4 key takeaways that stood out:    ⏩ The energy systems of the future can't ignore #climatechange: we shall design resilient and diversified energy mixes through a sector-wide integrated approach.  ⏩ The #energytransition needs to be citizen-centered, driven by a bottom-up approach.  ⏩ #Decarbonisation will require investment, and public funding won't be enough: we need a market that triggers private investment.  ⏩ We must listen to #consumers, especially vulnerable ones, and put a focus on local action, strengthening resilience and adaptation strategies.     CEDEC Secretary General Gert De Block concluded the Congress by emphasizing the need for the energy sector to work together to create a cohesive energy strategy that balances the urgency of climate goals with the political realities we face. It's time to "Play!": to act now and develop integrated strategies with sustainable energy sources that can meet the challenges of the energy transition in the most effective and cost-efficient way.    Thanks for following us and see you next year!    #CEDEC2024 #EnergyTransition #Innovation #IndustryLeadership    Pictures by @eliogermani 

Yesterday at the 5th #PCIdaysEU, CEDEC signed #EU’s Pact for Engagement.   The Pact brings together Member States, regulators, DSOs, project promoters, and civil society around common goals: -> highlighting the importance of #grids in the #energytransition -> accelerating key projects through regional cooperation -> simplifying #permitting procedures -> securing regulatory backing for #community engagement.   CEDEC is proud to be a part of this project and is looking forward to further engaging with the @EuropeanCommission and the signatories of the Pact!

CEDEC Annual Congress 7 November 2024 FAST FO⏩WARD. PA⏸️SE ? PL▶️Y ! Speakers SESSION 3 - Check out the enlightening 💡 speakers in the session on “Implementing the EU energy transition – Combine local planning with resilience strategies” 📅 7 November 2024, 14:00-17:30 🏰 Renaissance Hotel, Brussels These guest speakers will share their vision and experiences in SESSION 3 (16.30): ➕ Elina Bardram – Director Adaptation and Resilience at DG Climate Action - is at the heart of the Commission's policy development on preparing Europe's society, including its energy systems, for inevitable steps to take in climate adaptation and resilience; ➕ Fernando Vasca Chironda - Advocacy Officer at the European Anti-Poverty Network - will attract your attention to the needs of vulnerable energy customers when developing European energy and climate policies and their implementation in our communities, impacting their energy bills and their involvement in the heating transition; ➕ Claire Roumet – Strategic Partnerships at Energy Cities – voices the ambitions of European cities and citizens that want to lead in the energy transition on the steep path to 2050, making net-zero a reality at local level; ➕ Jean-Pierre Hollevoet - Chief Climate Officer at Fluvius, distribution system operator for electricity, gas and district heating in the Flanders Region - will demonstrate how local planning and resilience strategies are put into practice at company level. 🧭 Join the congress and enjoy the debate between these V.I. Personalities! 👁️🗨️ You can check out all the SPEAKERS and REGISTER here : https://lnkd.in/eir7qQ_8

CEDEC Annual Congress 2024 --- FAST FO⏩WARD. PA⏸️SE ? PL▶️Y ! Check out the enlightening 💡 speakers in session on “Securing the energy system – Integrated energy systems are the answer”! 📅 7 November 2024, 14:00-17:30 🏰 Renaissance Hotel, Brussels Against the background of CEDEC’s recent report highlighting how local energy companies also contribute to enhancing the resilience of energy systems (full report - https://lnkd.in/eHU8yyFA), these guest speakers will share their vision and experiences in SESSION 2 (15.00): ➕ Eva Hennig – Head of EU Energy Policy at Thüga, cooperative multi-utility operator for 100+ Stadtwerke in Germany – is a top expert on engineering local integrated energy systems, with specific attention for the future role of molecules; ➕ Federica Sabbati - Secretary general at EHI, European Heating Industry – brings market knowledge and strategies for all high-efficiency and renewable heating systems, from boilers to solar thermal systems, from heat pumps to fuel cells; ➕ Alexandra Tudoroiu – Head of Policy at Cogen Europe, the cross-sectoral voice of the cogeneration industry – will make the case for the contribution of highly efficient cogeneration to a more integrated, resilient and decarbonised energy system. ➕ Dick Weiffenbach – Director at Netbeheer Nederland, the energy distribution and transmission system operators in the Netherlands – has invested his 20+ years of global consulting experience in leading the transformation of the grid development strategy in the Netherlands over the past 4 years, based on extensive multi-stakeholder consultations, and preparing the Dutch grids for an integrated energy system approach towards a net-zero energy system in 2050.    Join the congress and enjoy the debate between these V.I. Personalities! 👁️🗨️ You can check out all the SPEAKERS and REGISTER here : https://lnkd.in/eir7qQ_8 🥂 To enriching exchanges with you on 7 November ! #LocalEnergy #ClimateResilience #EnergyTransition