EASE has prepared a short summary on one of the following energy storage application groups - Services to Support Transmission Infrastructure.
November 2021 / Policy Papers - Responses to Public Consultations
Energy Taxation Directive to Support EU Decarbonisation Targets
The European Commission has adopted a recast Energy Taxation Directive in the context of the Fit for 55 Package, in order to ensure that tax rates for energy products can support decarbonisation targets.
As demonstrated by the EU decarbonisation strategy for 2050, energy storage technologies are playing a valuable role in the transition to a low-carbon energy system. This role is only set to increase with upward revision of the 2030 decarbonisation targets. In order to enable the deployment of energy storage the barriers that hamper a robust storage business case should be avoided.
EASE welcomes the recast Energy Taxation Directive, which goes in the right direction by making it possible to consider energy storage facilities as redistributors so to avoid double taxation, but more ambitious steps are needed, such as basing minimum tax rates on carbon content of the energy product, setting enforceable rules to phase-out double taxation in all Member States, and ensuring system integration is incentivised through favourable rates.
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.
