EASE submitted a response to the European Commission Public Consultation on the Revision of the Energy Taxation Directive welcoming the revision of the Energy Taxation Directive and identifying a list of recommendations relevant for energy storage sector.
December 2020 / Policy Papers - Responses to Public Consultations
EASE Inputs to the Public Consultation on Sustainable Finance
EASE welcomes the development of a classification system for sustainable economic activities that can incentivise investments in clean energy technology. Energy storage solutions have an important role to play in the clean energy transition by integrating higher shares of vRES while supporting efficient system operation and security of supply. Therefore, it is positive that the technical screening criteria listed in the annex to the draft delegated regulation recognise ‘storage of electricity’, ‘storage of thermal energy’, and ‘storage of hydrogen’ as activities that contribute substantially to climate change adaptation.
However, EASE is concerned about the assessment of pumped hydro storage (PHS) facilities due to unclear or unjust criteria, especially compared to other storage and renewable technologies. The draft technical screening criteria are not based on existing EU legislation and are not aligned with the proposals of the technical expert group. The classification of PHS within the category ‘storage of electricity’ is not fact-based and could lead to all PHS being excluded from the taxonomy.
Also, energy storage technologies, including PHS, are categorised as enabling activities only. They should be categorised as economic activities, making a substantial contribution based on their own performance.
EASE therefore calls for a careful revision of the draft criteria related to energy storage, hydropower and PHS, particularly the categorisation of different types of PHS, to ensure a fact-based approach that recognises the important contribution of energy storage including PHS to the energy transition.
EASE submitted a response to the European Commission Public Consultation on the Revision of the Energy Taxation Directive welcoming the revision of the Energy Taxation Directive and identifying a list of recommendations relevant for energy storage sector.
EASE responds to the European Commission’s Public Consultation on the European Grids Package, calling for clearer guidance and obligations on flexibility assessments in planning processes. This includes common methodologies, improved DSO-TSO coordination, and enhanced grid connection procedures. Storage should be considered a standard resource for grid services and reflected accordingly in system planning, cost-benefit analyses, and network development scenarios.
The European Commission has recently launched a stakeholder consultation on its upcoming guidance regarding grid connections in situations where capacity constraints exist. In response, EASE urged reforms to tackle stalled “ghost” projects blocking viable energy storage. Key recommendations include a “first-ready, first-served” model, transparent grid data, and more flexible rules to accelerate the clean energy transition.
On 27 May 2025, over 200 participants attended the webinar on the "EASE Guidelines on Safety Best Practices for Battery Energy Storage Systems". The Guidelines are designed to support the safe deployment of outdoor, utility-scale lithium-ion (Li-ion) BESS across Europe.
Energy storage is a key enabler of the European Union’s decarbonisation and energy security objectives, yet current grid fee structures often act as barriers to its deployment. This position paper outlines critical challenges related to network tariffs and charges that create market distortions and discourage much-needed investments in flexibility.
