The unstoppable electrification ? to drive energy self-suffiency

Hello everyone! We’re back with another week full of updates in the energy sector. It’s been an intense few days with a lot of debate about the future energy model given the global geopolitical situation ??. Ignacio Galán, chairman of Iberdrola, is clear: we must bet on energy autonomy in Europe through electrification ? with clean energy.

He reiterated this at the International Energy Policy Forum 2025, organised by Financial Times in Brussels, where he pointed out that renewables ?? play a key role, as they facilitate more competitive prices and offer greater energy self-sufficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels from other countries.

In this regard, he pointed to electrification as the solution, which he assured is “unstoppable” in Europe, where there is an “enormous demand waiting to be connected” to the grid, and “for that, it is necessary to provide access to an infrastructure that is large, strong, and reliable enough” ??. To this end, he called on European political authorities to develop “long-term” energy strategies, as opposed to “last-minute” decisions, to give the sector the “predictability and stability” it needs to make investments.

Europe doesn’t just want to be a destination for holidays and beautiful monuments; we also want to be an industrial and technological hub, an attractive region for young people.

We are expanding our agreement with Amazon ??

Our global clean energy alliance with Amazon continues to grow, expanding to five countries and adding 476 MW through a PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) ????

? This new agreement includes Portugal with 219 MW from the Tamega Wind Complex - scheduled for 2025 - and Spain, with two new contracts totaling 257 MW from solar and wind energy. These three projects will generate energy equivalent to supplying 300,000 families per year. With this, Amazon has already contracted 66,000 GWh of green energy with us, boosting its commitment to the global energy transition.

Currently, we have agreements with Amazon totaling 550 MW in the United States, 320 MW in Germany, 257 MW in Spain, 219 MW in Portugal, and 209 MW in the United Kingdom. Adittionally:

• We successfully migrated a wide range of applications to Amazon Web Services (AWS) ?? in 2024.
• The distribution business is leveraging AWS’s Artificial Intelligence capabilities to innovate in the process of connecting new supply points to the grid.
• The renewables business is optimizing its wind farm design process by leveraging cloud computing power.

Renewables around the world ??: Germany

Today, in our series ‘Renewables Around the World’, we share an important development in a new offshore wind farm in Germany. The country’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency has approved the planning for the construction of Windanker, a large project in the Baltic Sea with an installed capacity of 315 MW.

With this green light, we take a big step in the Baltic Hub offshore wind complex, which will add a total renewable capacity of 1,100 MW along with the fully operational Wikinger and the Baltic Eagle, which is in the final stages of construction. ?? Thanks to technological advancements and our knowledge of the Baltic Sea, we will maximize the efficiency of Windanker, which will incorporate state-of-the-art turbines and is scheduled to be operational by 2026. Proud to lead the world in electrification with renewable energy.??.

An extreme cold wave in the U.S.

We crossed the Atlantic to congrat our colleagues at Avangrid, who ensured the electricity supply to more than a million homes and businesses during the recent extreme cold wave that hit the United States in January ?. With temperatures ranging from -20°C to -35°C in various regions, the company ensured the operation of more than 30 energy facilities located between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians, with an installed capacity of over 4,500 MW.

A cold snap, also known in the country as a cold spell, is a period of time when temperatures drop significantly below normal in a specific area ????. This weather phenomenon can last from a few days to several weeks and severely affects the daily life and economy of the impacted regions.

During these days in January, the demand for electricity reached peak levels due to the need for heating ??. “Even in the midst of extreme temperatures, our energy assets have proven to be a reliable and affordable source of electricity for thousands of people across the country,” highlighted Pedro Azagra, CEO of Avangrid. “I thank the hundreds of technicians who work year-round to ensure the electricity supply when it is most needed. Our projects boost American energy production, provide a reliable supply, and strengthen national security while stimulating the economy.”

? The recent cold wave has demonstrated the importance of having reliable and diversified energy infrastructures. With its focus on renewable energies and a sustained investment strategy, Avangrid has reaffirmed its commitment to the security of renewable energy supply, a capability that will be tested again with the forecast of another cold snap arriving this February.

That's it for today ??. As always, you can follow us on other social networks like X, TikTok, Pinterest or YouTube. Thank you very much for reading us ??