The European Commission’s AccelerateEU Communication, adopted in April 2026, sets out a strategic response to rising energy prices and renewed geopolitical pressures on Europe’s energy system. By combining immediate consumer protection measures with longer-term actions, AccelerateEU aims to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, accelerate the clean energy transition and strengthen Europe’s energy resilience. Central to the initiative are faster deployment of home-grown renewable energy, increased electrification, modernised energy infrastructure and stronger investment mobilisation across the EU.
AccelerateEU is structured around five key pillars: closer coordination between Member States, protection against energy price volatility, faster deployment of clean and locally produced energy, a strengthened, more resilient energy system, and increased investment in the clean energy transition. These priorities are particularly relevant for Europe’s islands, which often face higher energy costs, greater dependency on imported fuels and structural constraints in their energy systems.
In this context, the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat plays a key role in supporting island communities as frontrunners of Europe’s clean energy transition. Through technical assistance, capacity-building and knowledge exchange, the Secretariat helps islands translate ambitious energy visions into concrete, locally tailored action.
As part of the 30 for 2030 campaign, the Secretariat provides technical support to 30 islands or groups of islands for three years, propelling them towards the ambitious target of achieving complete energy independence through 100% renewable sources by 2030. This comprehensive call for technical assistance addresses diverse topics ranging from renewable energy production to storage and grid optimisation across the above-mentioned islands
A clear example of this support is the work carried out in the BES islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba). Initial technical assistance focused on smart electricity systems, including the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) as a foundational step for smarter, more flexible grids. This work assessed existing infrastructure, analysed business cases, and identified best practices and next steps for the implementation Smart Electricity Systems, BES islands | Clean energy for EU islands.
Building on this, the Secretariat supported the development of comprehensive energy transition roadmaps, defining concrete actions, priorities and financing pathways towards high shares of renewable energy, including the ambition of reaching near-100% renewable electricity systems.
At the same time, the Secretariat addressed one of the most critical barriers to implementation: access to finance. The position paper on bridging the climate finance gap highlights that, despite having a strong pipeline of mature projects, the BES islands face structural challenges in accessing suitable funding due to their unique political status and scale. It calls for clearer, better-adapted investment pathways and improved alignment of European and national funding instruments to unlock these projects and ensure long-term energy security and affordability.
These findings directly informed a high-level event in Brussels, where policymakers, utilities, financial institutions and EU representatives came together to translate policy into practice. The discussions confirmed that the islands are technically ready—with concrete renewable energy and infrastructure projects—but require tailored financial mechanisms and stronger matchmaking between projects and funding opportunities. The event facilitated direct exchanges between island representatives and financial actors, helping to accelerate progress towards bankability and implementation.
In parallel, targeted technical studies are helping islands move from planning to deployment. For example, the pre-feasibility study for the repowering of the Nasca Wind Farm on San Pietro Island assessed the potential to modernise existing wind capacity and improve system performance. Crucially, this work enabled the island to secure public funding for a wind measurement campaign — a mandatory next step to validate resource conditions and advance towards implementation. This demonstrates how early-stage technical assistance can effectively de-risk projects and unlock investment.
Taken together, these activities illustrate a coherent support pathway: from technical system analysis (smart grids) to strategic planning (roadmaps), to policy and financial structuring (position paper and Brussels event), and finally to project-level development (pre-feasibility studies). By addressing both technical and financial barriers, the Secretariat contributes directly to AccelerateEU’s objectives of accelerating clean energy deployment and building resilient, future-proof energy systems.