2030: A future roadmap for renewable energy?

A current European Commission Green Paper seeks views on the development of renewable energy and climate change has prompted a three-part approach intermediate targets for 2030 calls from the industry for renewable energy, energy efficiency and emissions reduction.

Officially opening an ongoing debate, the consultation - says who is Commission - to adhere to questions such as what kind of energy targets for 2030 and as coherence between different policy instruments throughout the EU can be reached?

With the consultation the Commission runs until 2 July intended to introduce 2030 framework by the end of the year.

Gunther Oettinger, EU Commissioner for energy, said: ' we need to define our climate and energy concept for 2030 as soon as possible to the right investment to ensure that will give us more energy security, sustainable growth and affordable competitive energy prices. The new framework must take into account the consequences of the economic crisis, but it must achieve enough, the necessary long-term also ambitious by 80-95 percent reduction in emissions by 2050."

Even with the fantastic progress of renewable energy in the past ten years and a number of additional measures this is still a bit much to ask. But the Commission has taken now at least concrete measures to develop objectives, something has cried the industry for in a bid to strengthen the confidence of investors in the long-term stability of the sector.

Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for climate change illustrates the point succinctly, saying: ' we have investor 2020 targets for 2020, but for most is around the corner. It is time to define the goals for 2030. The sooner we do that we get our company and our investors more security. And the goals are ambitious, the better for the climate. "

"As if the point home ram, the Commission is also that the current CO2 mechanism, the EU emissions trading scheme ' a major influence in the long run is low-carbon investments failed."

So much for the Commission, how the industry reacted?

In a statement of the European renewable energy of Council (EREC) President, Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes, said: "The goals of carbon emissions, energy security and international competitiveness in the EU need a hat-trick, reach the scored a combined renewable energy, greenhouse gas and energy efficiency framework for 2030".

"This is the kind of long-term thinking that is needed from the EU to its 2050 of carbon emissions, while at the same time stabilizing consumer prices obligations", he added.

Hinrichs-Rahlwes invites the State and clear guidelines of the European Council in may in particular a thorough impact assessment to the best match between the objectives for renewable energy savings and energy efficiency to define calls the various Member States.

That "energy will be political debate in the coming months on the future of Europe's crucial", said Justin Wilkes, policy Director of the European wind energy Association (EWEA): "setting by 2030 renewable energy would a binding target the 2020 goals by providing wind power with clarity, help make the necessary long-term investment, thereby reducing capital costs and the cost of capital."

Request a post-2020 framework, which also should be on the basis of renewable energy, energy efficiency and emissions,'s view among other recommendations of EWEA the package deploy, measures to ensure the "timely development of key factors enable, including energy systems and grid infrastructure, electricity, and R & D and innovation."

EWEA argues for an approach which carbon gives prices the macroeconomic action, renewable energy deployment targets to reduce long-term costs and enable the timely scale-up of new technologies and energy efficiency policy releases non-economic barriers to energy efficiency potential.

An ambitious and binding greenhouse gas target for 2030 to ensure that the EU on the optimal way to get 80-95 percent reduction says EWEA until 2050, added that the new measures around the block that is to stabilize the position for 2020, a 10 percent increase in domestic greenhouse gas emissions of the EU to include set - 30% - until then.

According to the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) Policy Director tripartite approach Frauke Thies said: "Europe must be ready to deliver on this vision for a clean and competitive energy supply in the future, shows a clear political direction and allows further investments. That means in 2030 to new goals commit, including an ambitious and legally binding renewables target. "

The heat coalition that represents that renewable heating and cooling sector, says that the upcoming policy framework for climate and energy policy appropriately the area must also 45 percent of Europe's final energy consumption at present accounts for.

So are we their stall with the Commission and the industry have outlined the basic statement, left the central questions, to consider that the Commission in detail. What kind of energy targets should be set for 2030? And how can policy coherence in the EU27 be achieved?

It is, of course, a what need in the mapping to economically achievable path to 2020, 2030, 2050 and beyond many other issues. And in an attempt that move the debate along, for this issue of the magazine world of renewable energies also we make up just that opening which we invite consultation, add your vote and comment below or e-mail your response to: rew@pennwell.com. As always the best submissions can be included in print output.

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