“The power generator will be built if it is cheaper than a missile.”
This was the statement that defined the discussion during the Green Recovery and Green Energy panel, voiced by a colleague from Ukraine in the context of rebuilding a country under constant pressure.
I took part in this panel at the Rebuilding Ukraine: Security, Opportunities, Investment event, where conversations on Ukraine’s reconstruction focused on energy security, resilient infrastructure development, and the role of affordable energy in economic recovery.
If Europe aims to build a resilient and secure energy system, it must learn from Ukraine’s agility: decentralized energy generation and digitalized grids are essential components of security. You cannot rebuild a country without electricity, and you cannot rebuild an economy without affordable energy.
The panel’s agenda reflected this reality, focusing on how reconstruction can accelerate the green transition through decentralized generation, grid modernization and digitalization, as well as regional and European interconnectivity—key prerequisites for resilience, stability, and integration into the EU energy market.
This approach is also mirrored at the European level through the European Grids Package, presented by the European Commission, which highlights the need to modernize and expand the EU’s energy infrastructure to ensure efficient system operation, reduce energy bills, and strengthen energy independence.
The package emphasizes increased investment in electricity grids, the removal of administrative bottlenecks, and the central role of network infrastructure in supporting both the energy transition and Europe’s energy security.
In this context, PPC, a regional leader in Southeast Europe, aligns with these European objectives through investments in electricity networks, digitalization, and renewable energy integration—contributing to stronger energy security and keeping energy affordable for consumers.
Ukraine’s experience and the EU’s strategic direction send a clear and shared message: affordable energy and modern energy infrastructure are fundamental conditions for security, reconstruction, and economic development.