The details at this point are sparse, but the EU has approved €578 million in funding for a power cable that will cross the Bay of Biscay, connecting Spain and France, a distance of some run for 230 miles.

   A report in Spain’s Olive Press said that the power cable to carry renewable energy is needed to ease one of Europe’s worst network bottlenecks. The contract, described as the highest ever, will transmit excess renewable energy between the two countries. The goal is to double current power capacity to 5,000 megawatts.

  “Only a fully interconnected market will improve Europe’s security of supply, ending the dependence of single suppliers, and give consumers more choice,” said Europe Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, who was cited in the report. In it, he said that the project would “end the isolation of the Iberian Peninsula and boost interconnectivity between the bloc. “Only a fully interconnected market will improve Europe’s security of supply, ending the dependence of single suppliers, and give consumers more choice.”

  The EU hopes the link will stave off dependency on Russian oil, increase renewable energy output and help meet climate goals.