Renewable Energy Policy Trends in the European Union: Insights from a Text Mining Analysis

Abstract

The European Union's renewable energy transition was affected by significant geopolitical challenges recently and the necessary changes in strategic plans were adopted. This study reflects how likely these changes will lead to the consistent development of energy systems taking into consideration all stages of the energy supply chain. Through the extraction and preprocessing of text from National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), along with frequency analysis to identify key signals and the application of k-means clustering to categorise countries based on their renewable energy strategies, this study finds substantial variations in the approaches of the EU countries towards renewable energy development, particularly emphasising different segments of the supply chain. The findings underscore the importance of holistic, supply chain-inclusive strategies to achieve the EU's renewable energy and climate goals.