Why is Europe still wasting clean energy? Take our poll

The Europe clean-energy debate is framed by a Yahoo poll asking why surplus renewable electricity is still being wasted and whether storage is the key issue. In the EU, renewable generation can exceed demand, but electricity is sometimes discarded because there is insufficient capacity to store it until needed. Fossil-fuel power plants remain necessary when renewable output falls, while demand is rising due to electric vehicles, heat pumps and AI-driven data centers. To address reliability and sustainability, EU energy ministers signed on 26 June the bloc’s first tripartite energy-storage agreement, involving member states, industry and financial institutions. Twenty-two countries pledged 30–35 gigawatts of new storage capacity by 2028, supporting a target of 200 gigawatts by 2030 from about 55 gigawatts today. Although commitments are voluntary, the EU expects less wasted power, stronger energy security and more stable electricity prices.