The war in Eastern Europe had many economic and political effects, hitherto unchanged such as the gas dependence of European nations on Russia. This obviously rewrote the energy production system, until then determined by the abundant and cheap Russian gas, accelerating the migration towards a green and eco-sustainable system.
In just over a year, dependence on Russian gas has been almost eliminated by implementing an optimization of consumption which has produced an average saving of 20%, as well as a considerable increase in the installation of photovoltaic and wind power plants which has reached a maximum production capacity, covering 24% of European electricity generation alone and avoiding the importation of 70 billion cubic meters of gas. But much work still needs to be done before we are independent of fossil edibles.
In 2022, 15 gigawatts of new wind farms and 41 gigawatts of new photovoltaic power were installed in Europe, but the biggest problem remains the bureaucracy which is currently blocking over 80 gigawatts of new plants. The goal by 2035 is to produce only electric cars and this will require a large energy production capacity, as well as a widespread distribution network and refueling plants.
The challenge is certainly difficult but not impossible. 2050 is the goal that Europe has set itself to become Carbon Free and the war between Ukraine and Russia has certainly accelerated the process. Furthermore, the US Green Deal has urged Europe to accelerate even further and significant progress is expected in the coming years.