ETIP HYDROPOWER has signed the Paris Pledge on Pumped Storage Hydropower by IHA and Eurelectric, becoming an official supporting partner of this important initiative presented at the International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower in Paris on the 9th of September 2025.

The Paris Pledge acknowledges the urgent and growing need for long-duration electricity storage to ensure a reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy system in Europe. As variable renewable energy sources are projected to reach 86% of Europe’s generation capacity by 2050, the demand for flexibility will increase sevenfold, exceeding 2,000 TWh annually compared to 310 TWh today.

Pumped storage hydropower (PSH), which already represents over 90% of global electricity storage capacity, is identified in the pledge as the most important, scalable, and cost-effective long-duration storage solution available today. Expanding Europe’s PSH capacity is described as essential to:

• Enable large-scale integration of wind and solar power, reducing curtailment (over 12 TWh of renewable electricity was curtailed in 2023, costing €4.3 billion)
• Stabilise electricity markets by lowering peak prices and system costs
• Enhance resilience and provide recovery capacity after blackouts
• Strengthen European supply chains and create economic opportunities;
• Contribute to climate adaptation through water management solutions

By supporting the pledge, ETIP HYDROPOWER reinforces its role in advancing evidence-based knowledge, innovation, and dialogue to accelerate the deployment of pumped storage hydropower in Europe.

“In his Research and Innovation Agenda as well as in the Strategic Industry Roadmap, ETIP HYDROPOWER has identified pumped storage hydropower as a vital contribution to the safe energy transition in Europe.”

-Anton Schleiss. 

You can read the full pledge here