EDP Renewables believes that Europe is undergoing a profound transformation that must be supported by mass electrification, digitalised grids, and a regulatory framework that provides certainty.

This was stated by Rocío Sicre, the company’s Spain General Manager, during the panel “Strategic vision of major players in a changing environment” at Future Energy Summit Iberia 2025, held in Madrid.

The executive emphasised that the opportunity lies in an electrification process rooted in resilient renewables, accessible to all.

This position aligns with recent industry warnings about the urgent need to accelerate renewable deployment under more robust frameworks.

According to data reported by Strategic Energy Europe, regulatory delays and the lack of visibility in auctions or grid planning have created investment uncertainty. For example, more than 135 GW of grid access requests were registered in Spain in 2024, but only a minimal fraction has technical feasibility and a clear execution framework.

Sicre also reinforced that such electrification will only be possible through coordinated progress on three pillars: regulation, infrastructure and markets.

Within this framework, she demanded long-term regulatory visibility, modern and decentralised grids, and market designs that properly value the services each technology provides.

According to the EDP Renewables executive, energy security has become a strategic issue following the blackout on 28 April. In this sense, storage must cease to be merely a support tool and be consolidated as a technology with a structural role and backup capacity.

“Storage must be a flexible energy source that operates in times of crisis. It must have its own independent and structural role within the system,” she noted.

She added that its development needs to be carried out with strategic foresight, not speculative logic, thus calling for the implementation of capacity mechanisms that appropriately remunerate the service provided.

“We must be competitive, but energy must be paid at its true cost. Systems with zero or negative prices will not work. Storage will be an integral part of this energy system,” she underlined.

EDPR’s plan

Storage also occupies a central place in EDPR‘s investment plan, along with next-generation hybrid projects. “We are already developing our first project combining three technologies: wind, solar and storage. We believe these initiatives will contribute firmness and stability to the system,” Sicre stated.

The company, currently operating 4,586 MW in Spain, prioritises efficient use of the grid through hybridisation. According to the executive, this approach not only optimises existing infrastructure but also enhances supply security in a highly intermittent environment.

“We have been pioneers in developing hybrid projects, not only in Spain but also in Portugal and Poland. We believe these combined technologies allow us to provide greater flexibility to the system,” she said.

Electrification must also be accompanied by smart demand planning, as highlighted in EDP Renewables‘ analysis. In Spain, the imbalance between renewable oversupply and stagnant consumption has begun to create negative pricing scenarios, with more than 500 hours below zero so far this year.

In this context, the executive considers it a priority that the rollout of new generation is matched by industrial and residential demand electrification, promoting flexible and local consumption models.

Some regional governments are already working on schemes to promote the co-location of load and generation, a strategy that could relieve network bottlenecks and maximise use of existing infrastructure.

From a regulatory perspective, Sicre aligned with other panel executives, such as Rafael Esteban (Acciona Energía) and Enrique Pedrosa (Repsol Low Carbon), in calling for clear signals, investment certainty, and streamlined permitting.

All agreed that storage is becoming a critical component of the system and that its deployment must be accompanied by stable regulatory frameworks.

Finally, the executive reaffirmed EDP Renewables‘ commitment to the energy transition, under a model based on sustainability, digitalisation, and technological integration. The company is part of the EDP Group, which already has 27 GW of renewable capacity globally and plans to invest €14 billion by 2026.

“We are adapting our strategy to an increasingly competitive market. The numbers are tough, but we continue to bet on storage, hybridisation, and the integration of demand and generation efficiently,” Sicre concluded.

Watch the full panel