Yet on emissions, she only vowed to stay the course. On energy, a key part of the beginning of her speech and a pressing concern for EU governments ahead of the winter, she promised nothing new. And on Europe’s deteriorating nature, she stayed schtum entirely.
Energy stasis
Von der Leyen was clear-eyed about three key energy problems: The EU’s dependence on expensive fossil fuel imports, a constrained power grid, and the resulting high bills hurting households and businesses.
She was equally clear about the solution: Clean energy and a switch from technologies that rely on fossil fuel combustion to electric alternatives.
Sun shines on solar panels on the roof of a sports facility in Berlin on July 2, 2025. | Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images
“We need to electrify Europe. Our goal is to double the share of electricity by 2040. With this, Europe could cut its fossil fuel import bill by €260 billion a year,” she said. “But we also need to ensure that the electricity we generate is available. Last year, we installed more than 80 gigawatts renewable capacity. But six times more capacity is still waiting to be connected.”
She insisted: “We must invest faster. Speed up grid connections. Develop storage. In short, let’s make Europe’s future electric.”
The general direction of her remarks was welcomed by industry and green groups alike. “We welcome the focus on tackling structurally high energy prices, accelerating electrification and reducing Europe’s exposure to imported fossil fuels,” said metals industry lobby European Aluminium, adding that they wanted to see “concrete measures” to address these issues.