Europe is at a crucial juncture for its competitiveness in the global energy market. While other regions have driven digital technologies to optimise their systems, the continent still faces structural challenges that hinder the adoption of innovations such as blockchain and artificial intelligence.

According to Alejandro Díaz González, CEO of Energy Green Data, the true potential of these technologies lies in empowering the end user and redistributing decision-making capacity within the market.

“In most sectors, users already have access to more information and make decisions based on it. But in the energy market, this still does not happen, and it should,” he emphasises in an interview with Strategic Energy Europe.

If Europe wants to differentiate itself and gain ground in the global market, it must create an open ecosystem where digitalisation is not merely an improvement of the current system but rather a structural transformation of the energy sector.

Blockchain in Renewables: More Than Just Energy Certificates

Although blockchain has been explored in the energy sector, its application has been mainly focused on renewable energy certification and tracking PPA contracts. However, its potential is far greater.

“The interesting aspect of blockchain is not just energy traceability but the ability to decentralise the market, enable project financing, and empower the end user,” explains Díaz González.

Some key applications of blockchain in renewables include:

Tokenisation of energy assets – Allows consumers to own fractions of solar or wind farms through tokens, facilitating decentralised investment models.

Smart contracts – Automated contracts that remove intermediaries in the buying and selling of energy, reducing costs and increasing market efficiency.

P2P energy markets – Systems where users can buy and sell electricity directly among themselves without needing to go through traditional energy retailers.

These tools could redefine the way energy is produced, traded, and distributed, enabling the creation of more accessible and transparent markets.

Innovation Will Not Come from Within

One of the biggest challenges in digitising the energy sector is that innovation has historically been in the hands of manufacturers and large energy retailers.

This has resulted in closed systems that have not facilitated the development of open digital platforms for users.

“Innovation in artificial intelligence and blockchain cannot depend on manufacturers. If technology is controlled by those who produce the equipment, it becomes a closed system with no ability to scale globally,” says Díaz González.

The case of Tesla in the automotive sector is a clear example: the company built its own charging network instead of adopting a standardised system, forcing other manufacturers to develop separate networks.

The same happened with Uber, which disrupted the transport market without being a traditional company in the sector, transforming urban mobility on a global scale.

In the energy sector, observes the executive, a similar situation occurs: large players have prioritised business models based on their own technology, making it difficult to adopt agnostic solutions that allow the true digitalisation of the market.

Díaz González argues that the digital solutions that will truly transform the industry will not come from within the sector but from external tech startups developing tools without relying on brands or traditional interests.

Blockchain, AI, and Europe’s Opportunity to Transform the Sector

Beyond technological development, the key for Europe to take advantage of these tools lies in its ability to create a regulatory environment that fosters innovation.

“Blockchain and artificial intelligence are going to transform the global energy market forever, but I consider it highly unlikely that a European company will lead this disruption,” says Díaz González.

Some of the key factors supporting his statement include:

1. Power distribution – Artificial intelligence optimises access to computing, while blockchain distributes control and transparency. The combination of both technologies can empower users like never before.
2. Innovation outside the traditional sector – True disruption will not come from manufacturers, retailers, or energy developers, but rather from external companies, just as happened with Tesla, Uber, Apple, and Amazon in their respective industries.
3. Europe needs structural changes – Currently, the continent neither encourages nor facilitates the emergence of disruptive startups in the energy sector. Therefore, the debate should not focus solely on which technology will emerge but rather how to create an ecosystem that allows its development.
4. Differentiating improvements from disruption – Optimising a battery with an algorithm or tokenising an energy park does not imply a radical transformation of the market. To achieve this, it is necessary to develop new business models and unprecedented tools.
5. Regulation as a competitive advantage – Although Europe does not lead the technological race, it can differentiate itself through innovative regulations that integrate blockchain and artificial intelligence in a more visionary framework.

Thus, it can be said that Europe’s central problem is not a lack of resources or the inability to innovate but rather a market structure that prevents the development of open and scalable technological solutions.

Díaz González warns that if the European Union does not change its approach and continues relying on the same players as always, foreign companies will ultimately lead the change.

“It is not possible to compete with China in manufacturing nor with the US in terms of protectionism. Europe must leverage its unique strength: a renewable energy market, but one enhanced with digital tools,” he concludes.