Tony Blair Institute Releases Report on European Energy Strategy

The Tony Blair Institute report recommends that the UK and EU move towards a common market relationship in the long term. It argues that Britain should be allowed to opt in to a continental system planner designed to coordinate Europe’s electricity sector. In their foreword, Sir Tony and Mr Renzi said: “Europe has led the world in climate ambition and made real progress in reducing emissions.

That achievement matters. But the global centre of gravity has shifted. They added: “For years, the energy transition has been understood primarily as a climate challenge, one defined by targets, timelines and emissions reduction.

But that framing is no longer sufficient. The pair emphasized that this is not an argument for weakening climate ambition but for embedding it within a more effective strategy that recognizes clean energy succeeds when it delivers abundant and affordable power. Data centre capacity is set to grow by 20 per cent per year to 2030, according to Tone Langengen.

AI is predicted to consume nearly three per cent of global power by 2030, she noted. These trends underscore the need for a shift from a climate-first approach, the report states, to avoid Europe falling behind in energy systems and economic order. Tone Langengen said Europe has extraordinary energy assets, including decades of nuclear expertise, the world’s strongest offshore wind resources and a highly interconnected electricity system.

But she warned that the continent must deliver abundant, affordable and secure power at scale, or risk falling behind in prosperity and geopolitical standing. The report points to mistakes in past energy policies, such as deprioritizing fossil fuels while dependence remained high.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson stated: “Net zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st century, with clean power being the route to energy sovereignty, lower bills for good and thousands of good jobs in our communities.

Jess Ralston of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said moving away from fossil fuels helps avoid volatile oil prices and supports both climate and energy security.