BRUSSELS — The European Commission wants to funnel billions more into energy infrastructure as part of the EU’s next long-term budget.

Energy ventures would see a significant increase in funds under the proposal. The Commission suggests earmarking €30 billion of its Connecting Europe Facility for energy infrastructure — up from €6 billion. That would mean more money for things like grid upgrades, battery storage and hydrogen infrastructure.

“This reinforces energy independence and accelerates the clean transition,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters as she unveiled the proposal.

Von der Leyen also touted a new proposal to let countries take out loans of up to €150 billion backed by the EU for “EU objectives,” naming energy and defense as priorities.

Grids could similarly receive funding from an expanded “competitiveness fund,” worth €410 billion in the Commission’s proposal. Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi warned in a highly touted report that Europe’s outdated grids were seriously hindering its ability to compete against the U.S. and China. 

Within the competitiveness fund, von der Leyen also pitched a sixfold increase in “clean tech and decarbonization.” And overall, she said, 35 percent of her proposed EU budget would go toward climate and environment schemes, reaching roughly €700 billion. 

That money would go toward efforts to adapt to climate change, protect water resources, prevent pollution and create a more circular economy.

The 35 percent figure would merge what are currently two separate spending targets — 30 percent for climate and 10 percent for biodiversity — under the existing EU budget. 

Environmental groups have been warning that such a change would result in less money going towards biodiversity objectives.