An EU energy group is urging the bloc to ramp up its investments in wind power, asserting that efforts up until now have lacked focus and direction.

In an April 8 report, the European Technology & Innovation Platform on Wind Energy (ETIPWind) called for the next EU budget to include at least €600 million ($690 million) in yearly funding for wind projects. The group also recommended the formation of a new "one-stop shop" entity to centralize the EU's wind energy research and "large-scale deployment," and to ensure that the bloc moves forward with a common, unified strategy. 

According to ETIPWind, wind installations have fallen short of the EU's long-term goals, with the EU connecting just 13 gigawatts of new wind capacity in 2024, out of the 35 GW needed each year to reach a 2030 target of 425 GW. The group contends that the existing system to spin up wind power in the EU has become "overly bureaucratic," with funding that's been far too fragmented. Between 2021 and 2024, the EU supported 72 total wind energy projects, across eight programs and a combined €761 million in grants. Each of those eight programs also has different rules and reporting requirements, ETIPWind notes, making it difficult to coordinate efforts and simplify processes. 

In 2024, wind provided 20% of Europe's energy, with EPITWind calling for that number to increase to 30% by 2030, and 50% by 2050. By unifying those efforts under a single fund, the group believes the EU's approach to wind power can shift to a "more focused and centralized investment strategy," where private and public money is pooled together instead of spread across separate programs.

"Wind energy can become the pillar of Europe’s industrial competitiveness and energy security agenda," ETIPWind chair Adrian Timbus said. "There is great consensus between the political will and the industry needs — we need to build on this momentum to ensure wind is a top priority in Europe’s industrial strategy."