Europe’s wind industry is heading towards what could be its strongest year on record, with 8.8GW of new capacity installed during the first half of 2026. This is according to industry association WindEurope and represents a 30% increase on the same period last year – sufficient on its own to displace fossil fuel imports equivalent to around 25 LNG tanker-loads each year.

A new report from the organisation warns, however, that policy choices on permitting, grids, and electrification will determine whether the wind ramp-up will continue.

Tinne Van der Straeten, WindEurope CEO, said: “2026 may well be a record wind year. But we can’t take that momentum for granted. Just when we need wind the most to boost Europe’s economic resilience, permitting volumes are down in key markets. Government decisions on permitting, auctions, grids and electrification in the coming months will make or break this momentum.” The organisation is calling for five key policy changes to support the next stage of deployment.

As explained by Enlit, the first priority is the implementation of EU permitting rules, with the aim of ensuring viable renewable projects can progress to grid connection without being held up by excessive administrative requirements. The next priority is to close the EU grids package, unlocking grid investments and clearing up grid connection queues.

WindEurope is also calling for revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System to be directed towards industrial electrification through mechanisms including the Innovation Fund and Industrial Decarbonisation Bank. The emphasis, it says, should be on sectors that are already technically capable of switching from fossil fuels to electricity.

The last two policy changes involve consistent auction design and setting a binding renewable energy target for 2040 so national Governments can plan volumes and supply chains gear up to deliver them. Together, the industry association believes these five mechanisms can help unlock investment at scale by reducing the cost of capital while providing greater revenue certainty for projects.

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