Von der Leyen names biomethane in the 2026 State of the Union address

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen named biomethane in this year's State of the Union address, delivered in the European Parliament. A write-up of the speech was published on 17 September 2026, and the source does not give the exact date of the speech. In the part devoted to energy the head of the Commission said that – quoting – "whether it is renewable and nuclear energy, or biomethane and others" – domestic sources must provide Europe with independence and lower prices.

What was actually said

The write-up shows that biomethane was named among examples of "domestic, clean and affordable" energy, and the President underlined the principle of technology neutrality. The only figure attributed to her directly is EUR 90 billion: that is how much imported fossil fuels were to have cost Europe additionally since the start of the conflict, "without adding a single molecule of energy". The speech did not set production or deployment targets or new instruments for biomethane. The interpretation that biomethane is a "key tool of energy independence" is the assessment of the author of the write-up, not a quotation.

The author also notes that the Commission declares commitment to the methane strategy and support for biogas infrastructure, but gives no details, and announcements of measures such as obligations or investment frameworks are speculative.

Context

The address fits a narrative that intensified in 2026 after tensions in the Middle East and around the Strait of Hormuz: the EU wants to reduce its dependence on energy imports. In March 2026 European industry organisations published the Joint Biomethane Declaration, in April the Commission presented the "Accelerate EU" communication, and in June it launched the Biomethane Mechanism. Naming biomethane in the address is another political signal, although it does not change the legal framework.

Significance for the industry in Poland

For Polish producers and investors the political climate matters: the more strongly the Commission emphasises domestic fuels, the easier it is to justify national support – auctions, contracts for difference, subsidies for connections – and the easier it is to obtain consent for State aid. On the other hand, the absence of figures and instruments means that concrete benefits depend on national decisions. Poland was at that time finalising the act with auctions: the Sejm passed it on 4 September, and the next stage was the vote in the Senate.

What to watch

The European Biogas Association repeats that development is limited by support policy and investment, not by the availability of feedstocks. It is worth following legislative proposals in the coming year – including possible targets for biogases in the reviews of the RES directive – and the results of the first round of the Biomethane Mechanism.