Brussels, November 4, 2025 – The European Parliament hosted the opening conference of European Utilities Telecom Council (EUTC) Annual Event, bringing together policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders to explore Europe’s energy resilience and the growing role of digitalisation in electricity networks. Hosted by MEP Pilar del Castillo (EPP Group), the session examined how artificial intelligence, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration can strengthen Europe’s electricity system and enhance energy sovereignty.
AI and digitalization driving Europe’s energy transformation
MEP Pilar del Castillo opened the session with a keynote emphasising the strategic importance of modernising Europe’s electricity networks. She highlighted the European Parliament’s Apply AI Strategy as a blueprint for integrating artificial intelligence across the energy and telecom sectors.
“This legislation will have a significant impact on both the telecom and energy sectors. AI holds substantial potential to enhance energy efficiency. For example, it can support electricity grid management by forecasting demand and balancing supply in real time. It can also optimize energy storage systems, ensuring that renewables such as solar and wind are used more effectively,” she said.
MEP Del Castillo underlined that electricity networks must be robust and reliable to support Europe’s green transition and social and economic stability. “Electricity is the backbone of modern society,” she added. “It must be robust, reliable, and secure to support Europe’s transition to a sustainable and resilient energy system.”
Introduction and technical insights
The discussion opened with Andreas Breuer (EUTC Chairman, Westnetz) setting the stage for Europe’s evolving electricity landscape. He emphasised that the reliability and resilience of grids now depend as much on digital technologies and connectivity as on traditional infrastructure. “Digitalization and connectivity are no longer optional, but they are fundamental to the stability of Europe’s electricity networks,” Dr. Breuer said.
Alberto Sendin (EUTC Board Member, Iberdrola) followed with a technical presentation showcasing how telecommunications connectivity is transforming and enhancing grid operations. He highlighted advances in smart grids and connectivity across all the grids, allowing real-time monitoring and remote automated operations. This demonstrates how the proper telecommunication means and technologies (mostly private networks) enable faster responses to disruptions, optimize energy flows, and support the integration of renewable energy. He also highlighted the need to improve utilities’ optical fiber rollout, appropriate harmonized spectrum access and power line communications current standards.
Together, Dr. Breuer and Dr. Sendin underlined the growing convergence of energy and telecommunications sectors. Their insights illustrated how collaboration across regulators, operators, and industry players is key to building a smarter, more resilient, and digitally enabled European electricity network.
The Commission’s vision: integration and resilience
Following this, a policy session moderated by Sergio Ramos Pinto (EUTC Vice-Chair, E-REDES), featured an intervention from Ruud Kempener (Deputy Head of Unit I, DG ENER), who outlined a vision for the future of Europe’s energy system: decentralized, digital, and increasingly consumer driven. He highlighted that improved data sharing and targeted investment could accelerate integration without regulatory overload. Dr. Kempener also stressed the importance of distinguishing clearly between resilience, robustness, and cybersecurity in operational technology.
“As energy networks increasingly rely on private 4G and 5G systems, connectivity itself may need to be considered a public utility within Europe’s energy framework,” he said.
Industry perspectives: connectivity as a cornerstone
Industry leaders highlighted secure connectivity as essential to Europe’s electricity transition.
Emmanuel Villalta (Enedis) stressed that distributed grids require robust, high-performance networks to operate effectively. Carsten Ullrich (450MHz Alliance) showcased the 450 MHz spectrum band as a dedicated and resilient communication backbone for critical infrastructure, reinforcing that connectivity is a strategic pillar of energy security. Stefaan Vermeire (iSea) highlighted spectrum management and network deployment as key hurdles for energy operators, stressing that when public infrastructure falls short, operators should be able to deploy private networks to ensure secure and reliable operations. Event attendees also quoted the Provisional List of Union-Wide High-Impact and Critical-Impact Processes produced by EU DSO Entity and ENTSO-E, highlighting the role of Telecommunications Networks supporting both IT and OT technologies.
Policy discussion: building a resilient energy system
Ruud Kempener explored a new risk-awareness and resilience framework. The initiative aims to safeguard critical energy services, define minimum architectural standards, and embed cybersecurity by design. Sergio Ramos Pinto described mobile networks as “the nervous system of Europe’s electricity grid,” highlighting the crucial collaboration between telecom operators and energy providers. Sergio Ramos Pinto underscored the strategic reliance on connectivity services, particularly mobile networks, described as “the capillary nervous system of Europe’s electricity grid”, and called for a resilience gap analysis grounded in common European frameworks. Such an evaluation would support European alignment with an acceptable risk profile, enabling regulators and industry stakeholders to strengthen infrastructure, minimize vulnerabilities, and enhance collaboration between the energy and telecommunications sectors.
Collaboration and shared vision
The session concluded with consensus that Europe’s energy resilience depends on the integration of AI, digital technologies, and telecom networks. Harmonized EU regulations, interoperable cybersecurity standards, and targeted investment in secure connectivity were identified as essential.
The high-level conference was chaired by Andreas Breuer and Alberto Sendin, with Sergio Ramos Pinto moderating. Speakers reaffirmed EUTC’s pivotal role in bridging the electricity and telecom sectors, highlighting Europe’s roadmap toward a smarter, more resilient energy system.
The Annual Event continued later in the day with panels and discussions at the NH Grand Sablon Hotel in Brussels, offering a platform for deeper discussions on AI, smart grids, and cross-sector collaboration among policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders.
About EUTC
The European Utilities Telecom Council (EUTC) represents Europe’s electricity, gas, and water utilities and critical infrastructure operators. The organisation promotes operational coordination, cybersecurity, and resilience, helping to ensure that Europe’s energy transition is built on a secure, reliable, and digitally advanced foundation.
More information: www.eutc.org
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