Three Ways to Unleash Wind Projects Stuck in Grid Queues, According to the IEA

Why It Matters

Accelerating wind projects reduces reliance on fossil fuels and balances the rapid growth of solar, supporting diversified clean‑energy portfolios and policy targets.

Key Takeaways

• IEA forecasts wind needing greater system flexibility.
• Solar expected to outpace wind two‑to‑one soon.
• Streamlined permitting cuts grid‑connection delays dramatically.
• Grid reinforcement and digital tools boost wind integration.
• Flexible storage and demand response absorb variable wind output.

Pulse Analysis

The IEA’s latest electricity report underscores a pivotal shift in the renewable landscape: while wind remains essential, solar’s cost declines and scalability are set to double its output within years. This divergence forces system operators to rethink how variable generation is managed, placing a premium on flexibility resources that can smooth intermittency without over‑building capacity. By highlighting the growing gap, the agency signals that policy and market mechanisms must evolve to keep wind competitive and reliable.

To untangle the bottleneck of wind projects stuck in grid queues, the IEA outlines three practical pathways. First, expanding grid‑scale storage, demand‑response programs, and flexible generation creates a buffer for fluctuating wind output, reducing curtailment risks. Second, harmonising permitting rules and establishing clear timelines for connection studies can shave months, even years, off approval processes, delivering cost certainty for developers. Third, modernising transmission lines and deploying advanced forecasting and smart‑grid technologies improve the physical and informational integration of dispersed turbines, allowing higher penetration without compromising stability.

For investors and policymakers, these recommendations translate into tangible opportunities. Capital directed toward storage assets, digital grid platforms, and transmission upgrades promises stable returns as they become indispensable for renewable integration. Meanwhile, streamlined regulatory frameworks lower project risk, attracting private financing and accelerating deployment timelines. Collectively, these measures not only unlock stranded wind capacity but also reinforce the broader decarbonisation agenda, ensuring that wind continues to play a robust role alongside a rapidly expanding solar sector.

Three ways to unleash wind projects stuck in grid queues, according to the IEA

By Ole Petter Pedersen · Policy · 9 February 2026, 15:45 Updated: 9 February 2026, 15:45

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has readjusted its forecast for wind‑power production, calling for far more flexibility in power systems to get projects moving out of long grid‑queue backlogs.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol explained that, while wind remains a key pillar of the clean‑energy transition, “solar will outpace wind power by roughly a factor of 2 : 1 in the next few years,” according to the agency’s latest electricity report.

The IEA outlines three main strategies to accelerate stalled wind projects:

1. Boost system flexibility – Enhance grid‑scale storage, demand‑response programmes, and flexible generation to accommodate variable wind output without over‑loading the network.

2. Streamline permitting and grid‑connection processes – Reduce bureaucratic delays by harmonising regulations across jurisdictions, setting clear timelines for grid‑connection studies, and providing transparent cost‑allocation rules.

3. Invest in grid reinforcement and digitalisation – Upgrade transmission infrastructure, deploy advanced forecasting tools, and adopt smart‑grid technologies that allow better integration of dispersed wind farms into existing networks.

By implementing these measures, the IEA argues that many wind projects currently stuck in lengthy queue periods can be brought online more quickly, helping to meet global climate targets and diversify the renewable energy mix.

Source: International Energy Agency