Navigating the Energy Transition: Affordable, Renewable, and Secure
Backing the Critical Raw Materials Act to Reinforce EU Strategic Autonomy
📅 Date:Thursday, 20 November 2025
📍 Location:European Parliament, Brussels
Room ASP 3G3
The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), adopted in 2024, plays a crucial role in enabling Europe's clean energy transition and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. By securing access to strategic raw materials, the Act underpins renewable energy deployment, energy storage, and affordable electrification for households and businesses.
Yet, implementation faces significant challenges: institutional, socio-economic, and environmental. Beyond derisking supply chains, public trust and affordability of energy access emerge as decisive. Local communities often see extractive projects as conflicting with their well-being, whilst many Europeans struggle with high energy bills. A fair transition requires policies that link raw material extraction directly to clean, affordable energy supply and ensure that the economic and social benefits are widely shared.
This session will examine how innovations at the intersection of raw materials and renewable energy production, such as CRM extraction from geothermal fluids, can strengthen the EU's strategic autonomy, reduce costs for households, and safeguard Europe's natural capital. It will also explore novel social and business models that can distribute benefits fairly, increasing public acceptance and ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition.
12:00
Welcome & Introduction
MEP Nicolás González Casares (S&D, Spain)
Katrin Kieling (Moderator and CRM-geothermal coordinator, GFZ Helmholtz-Centre for Geosciences)
12:05
Keynote Speech
MEP Davor Ivo Stier (EPP, Croatia) - TBC
12:20
Keynote: Critical Raw Materials and Renewable Energy - Building the Foundations for Affordable Clean Power in Europe
Simona Regenspurg (GFZ Helmholtz-Centre for Geosciences)
Presentation of CRM-geothermal project results and impacts
12:35
Panel Discussion: Harnessing Innovation to Secure Raw Materials and Power the Energy Transition
This panel explores how innovative solutions that integrate critical raw material extraction with renewable energy production can strengthen Europe's clean energy capacity, reduce costs, and enhance security of supply. At the same time, it will address the social dimension of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA): ensuring that implementation supports vulnerable consumers, reduces inequalities, and builds long-term trust and benefits for local communities.
Panellists:
• Christine Banken (European Commission)
• Mark Harris (Cornish Lithium)
• Simona Regenspurg (GFZ Helmholtz-Centre for Geosciences)
• Kestutis Kupsys (Member, European Economic and Social Committee 2020-25, consumer rights activist)
• Emily Ritchey (TCE)
13:20
Closing Remarks: Making the Energy Transition Affordable and Inclusive for All Europeans
MEP Nicolás González Casares (S&D, Spain)
Katrin KIELING
Moderator
CRM-geothermal coordinator
GFZ Helmholtz-Centre for Geosciences
Pr. Dr. Simona REGENSPURG
Researcher
GFZ Helmholtz-Centre for Geosciences
Christine BANKEN
DG ENER
European Commission
Mark HARRIS
Lead Process Engineer
Cornish Lithium
Kestutis KUPSYS
Member, EESC (2020-25)
Consumer rights activist
Emily RITCHEY
Policy Manager
T&E
Important: This event is by invitation and only registered participants can be accepted. For capacity reasons, everyone is required to register for the event, even those who already have a European Parliament badge.
