European Energy, US ambition | Danish group joins transatlantic green push with 10GW goal

Developer flags plans in wind, solar and hydrogen as more of Europe's renewables players look for American growth in market helped by IRA

EU and US flags.
EU and US flags.Foto: Shutterstock

European Energy unveiled ambitions to develop 10GW of renewables in the American market by 2026, as it added to a lengthening roll call of players from across the Atlantic eying a slice of the US green action.

Denmark-based European Energy has bought 7,000 acres of land in Texas – where it is eying a first 1GW of solar – and western US states as part of a renewable power push that will also encompass green hydrogen investments, the company said.

Knud Erik Andersen, CEO of European Energy, said the company "views the US as a critical market for solar and wind power, as well as technologies like power-to-X that will be essential solutions in decarbonising the hardest-to-abate sectors of the economy".

European Energy, which has a 40GW global pipeline, opened an office in Austin, Texas, to lead the US charge by its EE North America unit.

The announcement comes in a context of growing optimism for the future of US renewable energy after the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that contains major support measures for green projects and infrastructure.

That has recently led several big names from Europe’s power sector to declare US growth plans – adding to the continent’s oil & gas giants that are leading the North American offshore wind charge, and long-standing European utilities active there such as Enel, EDPR and Iberdrola.

Earlier in October, German utility giant RWE announced a swoop for the US green energy business of Con Edison in a deal that values the latter at $6.8bn. RWE said the acquisition will make it the fourth-biggest US renewables players as it hailed the IRA for setting a stable and reliable 10-year framework for investments in clean energy.
European Energy’s Danish compatriot Orsted recently posted its own ambitions to be “one of the largest clean energy investors in the US” as it also namechecked the IRA.
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Published 12 October 2022, 13:24Updated 12 October 2022, 13:24
European EnergyOrstedRWEUSAmericas