GLOBSEC’s Grid Transition Index 2024: Netherlands, Romania, and Poland Among Least Prepared for Green Energy Transition

Bratislava, 17 October 2024 – Europe’s green energy revolution might be at risk, as a new GLOBSEC report reveals that some of the continent’s key economies, including the Netherlands, Poland and Romania, are among the least prepared for the green transition. The GLOBSEC Grid Transition Index 2024 ranks 35 European countries based on their readiness to support renewable energy, and the findings raise concerns about the future stability of Europe’s electricity grids.
The Netherlands, in particular, is in the spotlight, ranking 24th out of 25 assessed EU countries – just ahead of Estonia. Despite its ambitious renewable energy targets, the Dutch electricity grid remains one of the least prepared to handle the rising demand for clean energy, posing a serious threat to its decarbonization efforts.
The report reveals that without urgent investment, countries at the bottom of the ranking will struggle to support their renewable energy ambitions. These nations – including Estonia, Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania – face significant risks such as rising energy costs, delays in connecting new energy sources to the grid, and increased vulnerability to power outages.
The Netherlands: A Tale of High Ambition and Low Readiness
Despite leading Europe in its plans for solar and wind energy, the Netherlands' grid is ill-equipped to handle the influx of renewable energy. Ranked 24th, the country could face severe challenges unless it invests heavily in upgrading its grid infrastructure. The report warns that without these upgrades, the Netherlands could experience delays in decarbonization efforts, rising electricity prices, and even more frequent blackouts.
“The green energy transition isn’t just about building more wind farms and solar parks—it’s about having the grid infrastructure to support them,” said Róbert Vass, President and Founder of GLOBSEC. “For countries like the Netherlands, Romania, and Poland, grid readiness is the Achilles’ heel of their energy transitions. Without immediate action, their clean energy ambitions could falter.”
Romania and Poland: Stagnating on the Path to Green Energy
Both Romania and Poland are also lagging behind, ranking 20th and 21st respectively. Their reliance on outdated infrastructure, coupled with insufficient investment in modernization, puts them at risk of missing their 2030 renewable energy targets. While Romania’s fossil fuel-heavy energy system has kept it afloat so far, the rising cost of carbon and outdated grids will hamper long-term sustainability. Poland, still heavily dependent on coal, faces a similar challenge. Although it has announced plans for more renewable energy sources, particularly wind, the grid's unpreparedness remains a significant bottleneck.
A European-Wide Problem: Investment Urgently Needed
The European Commission estimates that approximately €584 billion will be needed to upgrade electricity grids across the EU by 2030. The GLOBSEC report underscores that unless these investments are made swiftly, the energy transition could be delayed, especially in countries that are already falling behind.
"These costs should not fall on consumers," said Ján Mykhalchyk Hradický, the report’s author. "If electricity bills rise, it could slow the shift to clean energy. Instead, funding should come from EU recovery funds, carbon trading revenues, and reallocating subsidies currently directed at renewable projects that are already competitive."
The GLOBSEC Grid Transition Index assesses 35 European countries across 30 indicators, analyzing over 3.5 million data points to provide a comprehensive picture of the state of Europe’s electricity grids.
Map 1: Results of GLOBSEC Grid Transition Index 2024

You can read the full report here.
About GLOBSEC:
GLOBSEC is an action-oriented policy institution born in Central Europe, with an international presence in Bratislava, Prague, Brussels, Vienna, Kyiv, and Washington D.C. Established in 2005, GLOBSEC is an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organisation dedicated to enhancing security, prosperity, and sustainability in Europe and the world. To this goal contributes the annual GLOBSEC Forum, one of the leading global security conferences. GLOBSEC also organises the annual GLOBSEC Tatra Summit, a conference that provides the opportunity for experts to have discussions on the economic future of Europe.
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