Europe has a problem!

Europe faces a critical bottleneck in its renewable energy transition due to lengthy grid connection queues and the slow expansion of transmission networks. Analysis from the energy think tank Ember reveals that seven European countries—including Italy, France, and Spain—could connect an additional 25 gigawatts of wind and solar power by utilizing the spare capacity of existing hydroelectric grid connections. This "hybridization" strategy leverages the fact that reservoir and pumped hydro facilities utilize their connection capacity at an average of only 19%, leaving significant room for other sources. Because hydro is dispatchable, its output can be dialed down when solar or wind generation is high, creating a single integrated system. Real-world examples in Portugal and Spain already demonstrate this concept's viability. However, scaling this solution requires updating rigid regulatory frameworks designed for single-technology power stations to address complex issues like multi-source metering and curtailment responsibilities.