18 November 2025

From Gatekeepers to Enablers: Reimagining Distribution System Operators for a renewable future

Europe’s aging electricity distribution grid is in urgent need of modernisation. With 40% of the EU’s distribution network over 40 years old, just ten years off its typical lifespan, upgrades are inevitable– energy transition or not. This presents a pivotal opportunity to build a clean and efficient energy system that lowers costs for the people, families and businesses at the heart of our society.

Electricity distribution networks – operated by distribution system operators (DSOs) – are the golden thread connecting households and businesses to the benefits of renewables and clean flexibility solutions. More than 70% of all renewables will be connected to the distribution grid by 2030. They connect a wide range of projects: from heat pumps and EV charging stations to rooftop solar, industrial sites, utility-scale solar, and onshore wind. Thus, DSOs play a crucial technical role in optimising and stabilising the power system, as well as achieving decarbonisation objectives. Yet outdated rules, slow permitting processes, and governance gaps are slowing progress.

Distribution grids need to transition from a network where households and businesses passively consume electricity generated principally from centralised thermal power plants – to a system where electricity is generated and consumed in a much more decentralised, flexible manner. This transformation redefines the role of DSOs. Their new role as the key enablers, innovators and investors for the energy transition necessarily implies that current governance and operational structures need overhauling. Our new report sets out high-level changes needed to transform DSOs into the enablers of the clean energy transition.

Read also

17 February 2026

Beyond Fossil Fuels, together with external allies, including Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD), Friends of the Earth U.S., Green Screen […]

Read more Watch video

12 February 2025

This report looks at the relationship between the sister companies EPH and EP Energy Transition (EPETr), both of which are owned by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský. EPH was established in 2009 and has since become a key player in the European energy market, with holdings across Europe. This report is based on an investigation carried out by researchers at FIND and commissioned by Beyond Fossil Fuels and our Re-set, due to concerns over the companies’ restructuring used to mask continued investment in coal while presenting a “cleaner” energy profile to investors and policy makers. The research finds that:

Read more Watch video

19 March 2025

The European steel industry stands at a pivotal crossroads. As one of the most emissions-intensive sectors, responsible for 5% of the European Union’s (EU) total emissions and over a quarter of industrial emissions, its transformation is essential to achieving the EU’s ambitious climate goals. The steel sector must undergo rapid decarbonisation, shifting away from polluting coal-based production towards clean, near-zero emissions alternatives. This transition is not only an environmental imperative but also an opportunity to secure the industry’s long-term competitiveness, ensure job security, and reinforce Europe’s industrial leadership in a changing global market.

Read more Watch video

23 March 2022

The Solar Potential of Coal Sites in Turkey report shows that approximately half of Turkey’s open-cast coal mines are suitable for conversion to solar farms.

Read more Watch video

« Media Centre