51 Annual Report 2021 resilience, empower consumers, enhance access to affordable energy and reduce the dependence on volatile fossil fuels. • Storage capacity and a resilient EU energy system: › Both short to medium (batteries) and long-term storage (Power to X) options need to be exploited. Increasing electricity storage in particular supports integrating renewables into the system and smoothening peak demand. This could also lower electricity prices during peak times when generators using fossil fuels often set the price. • Empowering and protecting end users: › Support consumer empowerment, providing consumers with information and offering options on how they can participate in the energy market. › Appoint a Supplier of Last Resort, in the event of market exit or failure of a supplier. › Further boost the role of consumer in the energy market, by contributing to improving demand response, as well as by developing self-supply via individual renewable energy and energy community arrangements. • Stepping up investments in renewable energy and in energy efficiency: › Accelerate auctions for renewable energy and ensure the rapid and full implementation of relevant investments under the Recovery and Resilience Fund. › Speed up permitting by reducing lengthy and complex permit procedures which are one of the biggest obstacles to development and deployment of clean energy infrastructure. › Ramp up the production of equipment for RES which is another critical success factor for accelerating the deployment of RES. › Step up investments on energy efficiency and in buildings performance, which lowers energy consumption and energy costs and eases pressure on energy markets. › Step up investments in trans-European networks to avoid curtailment, based on Projects of Common Interest. These include interconnectors, removing national bottlenecks, storage and smartening the transmission and distribution grids. Projects of Common Interest (PCI) On 19 November 2021, the European Commission approved the 5th PCI list in the energy sector. These are key cross-border energy infrastructure projects for building a more integrated and resilient EU internal energy market and pursuing our energy and climate goals. The 5th PCI list includes 98 projects: 67 electricity transmission and storage projects, 20 gas projects, 6 CO2 network projects, and 5 smart grid projects. The 67 electricity transmission and storage projects on the PCI list will make an important contribution to the increased renewable energy ambition under the European Green Deal, while 5 smart grid projects will improve efficiency of the networks, cross-border data coordination and safer grid management. No new gas infrastructure project is supported by the proposal. The selected gas projects, which have already been on the 4th PCI list, are projects that are necessary to ensure security of supply for all Member States. A strengthened sustainability assessment has led to a number of gas projects being dropped from the list. Following its adoption by the Commission, the Delegated Act with the 5th PCI list will be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council. Both co-legislators have two months to either accept or reject the list - a process which can be extended by a further two months, if needed. Based on the applicable legal provisions, the co-legislators do not have the possibility to amend the draft list.
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