Europe pushes for energy, tech independence

Heightened transatlantic tensions are spurring Europe’s push for energy and tech independence.

Ten European countries on Monday agreed to collaborate on a massive offshore wind farm project in the North Sea, linking to all participants via submarine cables.

“Energy is now central to this volatile age,” the UK and EU’s energy czars wrote in Politico, emphasizing the need for “homegrown clean power” to achieve security.

The EU is also accelerating efforts to promote tech sovereignty, The Wall Street Journal reported, after the US’ Greenland quest sparked concerns of a once unthinkable scenario in which Washington could cut off the region’s access to American tech. Still, a decoupling is unlikely; Europe is hugely reliant on US cloud computing services.