Publication: 2EU Brussels
In an op-ed for 2EU.brussels, Daniel Apostol, columnist, economic analyst, and public policy expert, warns that the global energy transition has entered a phase where industrial competitiveness, strategic dependencies, and the cost of new supply chains may determine not only who dominates the „Electric Era,” but also whether climate goals can still be met on time.
According to the Energy Technology Perspectives 2026 (ETP-2026) report, published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), we have reached a volatile turning point.
The birth of the „Electric Era,” the transition from molecules to electrons, is hitting a new reality, far more harsh than the architects of the new era could have imagined. For a decade, the narrative of the green transition was one of pure technological optimism: falling costs, record renewable deployments, and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels. But today, the stake is no longer just whether we can build a green future, but who will build it and at what cost. The IEA study issues an unequivocal warning: if global leaders fail to reconcile industrial competitiveness with climate goals, policies meant to save the planet could become the very obstacles blocking the engine of progress.
