Energy Package: launching of a set of measures to lower energy prices, from grids to citizens (EC)
Easing investments in grids; boosting SMRs; empowering citizen energy and lowering energy bills: Teresa Ribera, EVP for a just, clean and fair transition, along Dan Jorgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing, presented a set of measures and investments designed to increase Europe's energy sovereignty and affordability.
Drawing on the Affordable Energy Plan, with a strong focus on nuclear energy, this set of measures aims primarily at securing energy supply and lowering prices, in a tense geopolitic context.
On the one hand, with a €75Bn investing commitment in energy for the next three years from the EIB, also announced on 10/03/2025, and a €200M funding in SMR from the Innovation Fund (backed by the ETS), the European Union also announced major investments in nuclear energy.
On the other hand, the Citizen Energy package sets measures to protect consumers, asking Member States to lower energy taxes (for estimated savings of 200 euros per year in each European household), to clarify energy contracts and to foster homegrown production : up to 16 million households could turn prosumers in Europe by 2030.
"The situation in Iran reminds us of a simple truth. Homegrown clean energy is the only lasting solution for EU to break the cycle of fossil-fuel dependency and price volatility. Today we adopt a package to progress in our endeavour and backs citizens to get lower energy bills. We want to ensure the right investing conditions to channel private capital into our clean, affordable and homegrown energy systems. And today’s move is an additional step forward", stated Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, in Strasbourg, on 10/03/2026.
A set of plans to address energy affordability issues in Europe by 2050, from infrastructure investment to citizen energy
•A Clean Energy Investment Strategy designed to attract private funding
While there is still a gap remaining between available funds and needs, this strategy aims at derisking investments, in order to reinsure investors, and to create new vehicles, such as hybrid bonds, to ease banking investments in energy infrastructure in Europe
•A SMR strategy
designed to make Small Modular Reactors operational by 2050, presented by Ursula von der Leyen, during the Nuclear Energy Summit, in Paris, on 10/03/2025.
•A Citizen Energy Package, designed to lower energy bills and foster self consumption
This package is designed to empower energy communities and protect citizens; along these measures, the Commission will also help Member States lower energy taxes, today at an average rate of 25% for households and 14% for companies.
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Recognition of energy communities :
These communities allow citizens, local authorities and small enterprises to jointly produce, consume, store and sell energy. While the development of these communities is still lagging, with a mere 7000 of them settled in the EU, the Commission wants to promote it: a lump-sum of 45.000 € will be made available for the settling of these communities, opening at spring 2026.
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Right to self-consume electricity
Consumers have the right to produce electricity, mainly from renewable sources such as solar PV, for their own consumption. They can store or sell surplus electricity without being treated as traditional energy suppliers. 16 million households across Europe could produce homegrown electricity by 2030, according to an EU official.
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Collective self-consumption
Groups of consumers located in the same building or area can jointly produce and share electricity generated locally.
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Access to energy markets
Citizen and renewable energy communities are allowed to participate in electricity markets, including generation, supply, aggregation and flexibility services.
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Supportive regulatory frameworks
Member States must provide enabling frameworks that reduce administrative barriers and ensure fair access to networks and markets for citizen projects.
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Protection of energy consumers
The package reinforces consumer rights, including:
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clearer energy bills
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easier switching between suppliers
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access to smart meters and consumption data
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Support for vulnerable consumers
Member States are required to address energy poverty through targeted support measures and consumer protection rules.
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Local energy system integration
Citizen projects are expected to contribute to distributed renewable energy deployment, flexibility services and local grid balancing.
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