Europe’s energy transition is at a crossroads. The rapid expansion of renewables, while necessary for decarbonisation, has exposed vulnerabilities in the continent’s power systems. The Iberian blackout last year served as a stark reminder that ambition must be matched with careful planning and robust infrastructure. Yet, in the Nordic countries, a different narrative unfolds. Here, high renewable penetration coexists with grid stability, offering a blueprint for Europe’s energy future.
The Nordic model is underpinned by a complementary energy mix. Hydropower, with its dispatchable nature, balances the variability of wind energy, while nuclear and bioenergy provide stability and seasonal flexibility. This mix is further enhanced by growing contributions from batteries and demand response. But it’s not just about the resources; it’s about how they’re managed. Strong regional cooperation, harmonised grid codes, shared market rules, and coordinated system planning enable national operators to function as a single, interconnected network. Deeply integrated markets turn variability into an asset, smoothing prices, reducing reserve needs, and strengthening reliability.
“Europe must build a power system that combines scale, resilience and low carbon intensity,” says Parvathy Sobha, Energy Systems Analyst at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. She argues that Europe can learn from the Nordic experience, but adaptation is key. Not every region has the hydropower that underpins the Nordics’ flexibility. Balancing variable renewables elsewhere will depend on smarter combinations of storage, flexible demand, and interconnections.
Brida Mbuwir, a research and development professional at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), echoes this sentiment. She emphasises the need for strong coordination, consistent investment, and shared market rules to overcome resource disparities and geography alike. “Infrastructure gaps, uneven market maturity, and regulatory differences remain obstacles, but none are insurmountable,” she asserts.
The European Union is already taking steps in this direction. Programmes like TEN-E and REPowerEU aim to accelerate interconnectors and internal reinforcements, allowing renewable electricity to flow across borders. Deepening day-ahead, intraday, and balancing market coupling will ensure that flexibility reaches where it creates the greatest value. Treating flexibility as core infrastructure and valuing fast frequency response and grid-scale storage within capacity and balancing mechanisms will anchor reliability in a cleaner and more dynamic power mix.
Bart Overdevest, a Project Engineer at RWE Generation, highlights the importance of operational harmony. Aligning grid codes, planning standards, and market rules across Member States can enable transmission and distribution operators to act as one coordinated European network. A shared digital backbone, built on real-time data, forecasting, and automation, will add the visibility and speed needed to manage decentralised generation.
But the transformation isn’t just about technology and infrastructure. Citizens remain central to this process. Cross-border projects must deliver tangible local benefits: fair prices, clean air, and sustainable jobs. Earning public trust through transparency and equitable outcomes will sustain momentum and legitimacy.
The Nordic model offers valuable lessons for Europe’s energy future. It shows that reliability and decarbonisation can go hand in hand, but it also underscores the need for adaptation, coordination, and public engagement. As Europe navigates its energy transition, these principles will be crucial in shaping a secure, sustainable, and resilient power system. The path forward is challenging, but the Nordic example proves that it is achievable. The question now is not whether Europe can learn from the Nordics, but how quickly and effectively it can adapt their lessons to its diverse realities.