Monday, 17 August 2026Europe · Analysis
Independent · Brussels & Berlin
Person
European Commissioner for Energy, European Commission
The European Commission will table legislation this year to accelerate AI-driven smart meter rollout, aiming to move domestic consumption away from evening peaks while data centre electricity use is on track to more than double by 2030.
Energy commissioner Dan Jørgensen rules out any reversal of Russian fossil fuel bans as Hungary and Belgium push for cheaper supplies amid Iran conflict disruption.
Persian Gulf closure pushes European benchmark prices up sharply, reviving fights over electricity market design, the emissions trading system and the pace of electrification.
Strait of Hormuz closure removes a fifth of global oil trade, pushing European gas to €56 per megawatt-hour while storage sits at a four-year low of 30 percent capacity.
Dan Jørgensen says Brussels must act on affordable housing or cede ground to populists, as rents outpace inflation across member states
The EU executive says the phase-out will proceed regardless of any peace deal in Ukraine, citing Moscow's history of weaponising energy supplies. Hungary, Slovakia and Austria oppose the plan but lack a blocking minority.
The newsletter
Delivered to your inbox on the days we publish. No daily digest, no push notifications, no advertising.