Welcome and Introduction

Recording of Monday, June 22, 2026 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2026 | Language: English | Duration: 6:21 .

Navigating Challenges in European Energy and Investment Strategies

Energy policy in Europe is undergoing significant transformation, addressing complex challenges such as green manufacturing and price volatility in energy markets. There is a strong emphasis on system integration, particularly with solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage technologies, which are increasingly being viewed as both separate and hybrid solutions. The European Union is focusing on renewable energy targets to ensure greater security while responding to the oversupply of solar energy that drives prices down, potentially undermining investments in energy storage. Concurrently, investment strategies must contend with industry-specific factors, necessitating improved option designs to promote fairness across sectors. Insights from analysts, such as Victoria Ortega from Wood McKinsey, will shed light on current market dynamics, exploring trends in volumes and costs. The discussions will focus on restoring viable investment approaches in light of these developments and ensuring a balance between production and market sustainability.

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Speaker

Tobias Biller
Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager
RWE Renewables Europe & Australia GmbH
Germany

Talk of session: Auctions and CfDs: The Strategic Role of CfDs and Tenders for Solar plus Storage in the Energy Transition

As merchant and PPA revenues decline amid negative price trends and falling capture rates, auctions and Contracts for Difference (CfDs) are regaining strategic importance for large-scale solar and storage projects. CfDs remain the backbone of renewable financing, providing price certainty and lowering capital costs. At the same time, auction models must evolve to incentivize flexibility and prevent grid congestion. New EU rules permit non-price criteria in tenders and other publicprocurement processes in order to strengthen resilience and support EU supply chains. This session examines how auctions and CfDs can secure clean capacity, integrate storage and reinforce Europe's energy security and competitiveness. Key topics: Auctions / CfDs in a low capture price environment European auction landscape overview Incentivizing flexibility and storage Non-price criteria and resilience requirements The role of auctions in energy security and industrial policy

Further Talks of this session: