As merchant and PPA revenues decline amid negative price trends and falling capture rates, auctions and Contracts for Difference (CfDs) are regaining strategic importance for large-scale solar and storage projects. CfDs remain the backbone of renewable financing, providing price certainty and lowering capital costs. At the same time, auction models must evolve to incentivize flexibility and prevent grid congestion. New EU rules permit non-price criteria in tenders and other public
procurement processes in order to strengthen resilience and support EU supply chains. This session examines how auctions and CfDs can secure clean capacity, integrate storage and reinforce Europe's energy security and competitiveness.

Key topics:

• Auctions / CfDs in a low capture price environment
• European auction landscape overview
• Incentivizing flexibility and storage
• Non-price criteria and resilience requirements
• The role of auctions in energy security and industrial policy