Ben McWilliams
Ben McWilliams is an Affiliate Fellow at Bruegel. He specialises in energy and climate policy.
He covers clean technologies and decarbonisation. He also researches policy tools for stimulating industrial decarbonisation and the implications of emerging energy systems – such as hydrogen – for Europe’s economic geography. He works on the European Clean Tech Tracker, compiling data and drawing insights for clean technology trends in Europe. He has also worked on the policy and industrial implications of the 2022 energy crisis.
He holds a MSc in Economic Policy from Utrecht University, having completed a thesis investigating the economic effects of carbon taxation in British Colombia.
Disclosure of interests
Featured work
European natural gas imports
This dataset aggregates daily data on European natural gas import flows and storage levels.
2026 European energy crisis fiscal response tracker
This dataset provides an overview of the fiscal measures implemented by European governments to mitigate the 2026 energy shock in Europe
Tracking the EU Clean Industrialisation Process: A Focus on Batteries and Electric Vehicles
The flaws in the European Union’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act and how to fix them
IAA provisions should rest on clear sector choices, WTO-safe criteria and FDI screening that welcomes value-adding investment
Understanding the global clean tech manufacturing slowdown
Europe’s electric vehicle conundrum
What to do about Chinese overcapacity, EU subsidies and the electric transition
How Europe should respond to the Iran gas shock – and how it shouldn’t
The European Union should act now to head off growing impacts from the Iran conflict on gas prices and availability
Dependence on fossil fuels, not on the United States, is Europe’s worry
The US has replaced Russia to a great extent as an energy supplier to the European Union, but this has not so far created a new vulnerability
A new European energy policy paradigm revealed by changes in hydrogen strategies
‘Made with Europe’ not ‘Made in Europe’ should guide EU industrial policy
The European Union should not go down the path of local-content requirements to protect industry but should remain open to international cooperation
How can Europe make CBAM a decarbonisation success story?
All about CBAM, the cross-border carbon levy
The EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism is live! What happens next?
European natural gas demand tracker
Tracking monthly natural gas demand by country and the EU as a whole, with a breakdown of the power, industry and household sectors where possible
European clean tech tracker
This tracker provides an overview of the main innovation, manufacturing and deployment trends in clean tech in Europe
Europe has a solid basis for battery and electric vehicle manufacturing growth
Europe is successfully building up battery and EV manufacturing capacity, though mainly thanks to foreign investment
The case for delaying the application of the EU’s carbon border levy to electricity
The inclusion of electricity in CBAM creates more problems than it solves; ways should be found to exempt it
Europe’s Clean Industrial Deal: four priorities to fulfil its promise
The Clean Industrial Deal presents an opportunity for Europe, but quick action is needed on four priorities to deliver its goals
China’s race to electrification
Is China turning into an “electrostate” — and how will that change the balance of global energy?
How is Europe's green energy transition going?
Greening global industry: clean energy, trade and development
How to accelerate European green transition while cooperating with the Global South
All work
Dataset
02 July 2026
European natural gas imports
This dataset aggregates daily data on European natural gas import flows and storage levels.
Dataset
16 June 2026
2026 European energy crisis fiscal response tracker
This dataset provides an overview of the fiscal measures implemented by European governments to mitigate the 2026 energy shock in Europe
External publication
12 June 2026
Policy Brief
21 May 2026
The flaws in the European Union’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act and how to fix them
IAA provisions should rest on clear sector choices, WTO-safe criteria and FDI screening that welcomes value-adding investment
Analysis
11 May 2026
Podcast
08 April 2026
Europe’s electric vehicle conundrum
What to do about Chinese overcapacity, EU subsidies and the electric transition
Analysis
01 April 2026
How Europe should respond to the Iran gas shock – and how it shouldn’t
The European Union should act now to head off growing impacts from the Iran conflict on gas prices and availability
Analysis
11 March 2026
Dependence on fossil fuels, not on the United States, is Europe’s worry
The US has replaced Russia to a great extent as an energy supplier to the European Union, but this has not so far created a new vulnerability
External publication
19 February 2026
First Glance
10 February 2026
‘Made with Europe’ not ‘Made in Europe’ should guide EU industrial policy
The European Union should not go down the path of local-content requirements to protect industry but should remain open to international cooperation