The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) welcomes the AccelerateEU plan that was announced today (22 April 2026) by the European Commission, and which recognises the central role that geothermal energy must play in strengthening the European Union’s energy security and economic resilience, whilst also addressing the climate crisis.
The situation in the Middle East has already cost the EU more than €22 billion due to higher prices of energy imports, and will have continuing consequences for Europe’s energy, food and economic prosperity. Unshackling geothermal energy is key to accelerating energy independence and security.
The European Commission’s AccelerateEU plan highlights the value of geothermal as a unique and versatile renewable energy source with vast potential for electricity generation, heating and cooling. Geothermal solutions can provide clean and affordable energy to replace imported fossil fuels.
The AccelerateEU plan outlines a series of measures that, when fully implemented, will speed-up the deployment of geothermal energy projects across the whole of the EU: creating an EU-level database of geological data; establishing geothermal derisking schemes and insurance schemes; and promoting international cooperation on geothermal energy projects. EGEC calls on policymakers, industry stakeholders, and financial institutions to support the implementation of these proposals.
Philippe Dumas, Secretary General of EGEC, stated, “The Commission’s focus on homegrown energy correctly shines a spotlight on geothermal. It provides the right attention to massively deploy geothermal in Europe. Now it must quickly publish the Geothermal Action Plan to fast-track investments and reduce uncertainty, and save families, businesses, industries and farmers from the energy crisis.”
Sanjeev Kumar, EGEC’s Policy Director, said, “The Commission mustn’t delay. Instead, it must act on geothermal today”. He added that the absence of an ambitious target at EU level for increasing geothermal capacity was akin to “accelerating with your foot firmly on the brake pedal”.
For more information about the AccelerateEU plan, see the European Commission website: AccelerateEU to strengthen EU energy resilience
For more information about EGEC’s proposals for a European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan, see our policy statement: The European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan (December 2025)
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