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Wind industry ready to boom.
European Wind Energy Association Chief Executive Christian Kjaer talks exclusively to PES about how the European Commission’s ongoing efforts to tackle climate change are paving the way for “a massive expansion in wind power”, but certain member states should be reaching to pull their socks up.
In January this year, the European Commission gathered in Brussels to propose a new energy and climate package for Europe, including realistic targets and a roadmap for achieving these targets. One general conclusion of discussions was that, if we are to achieve a renewable energy quota of 20% by 2020 across the 27 Member States, a great deal of time, effort and investment will need to be ploughed into the RES sectors.The EC has now proposed a stable and flexible EU framework in which Member States keep control of their renewable energy policies through successful national support systems. In addition, cross-border transfer of guarantees of origin can only take place where Member States have met or exceeded their interim targets.
For the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), these two elements are crucial for maintaining investor confidence and encouraging substantial investments in green electricity. The EC has today provided a powerful response to the imminent energy and climate crisis. By introducing a voluntary trading mechanism, controlled by Member States, the proposal maintains market stability, increases investor confidence and will help Member States to reach their ambitious, yet achievable, targets.
The target implies that the renewable energy share of electricity will increase from 15% today to more than a third of Europe’s demand in 2020. Wind energy will be the biggest contributor to that massive increase in clean electricity production.
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AN INDUSTRY IN CRISIS?
Is the sun about to set on European renewables? PES examines the evidence.
The year is 2028, across Europe, cities are plunged into darkness. In London, the Underground grinds to a halt, leaving panicked commuters stranded in oppressively hot carriages. In Parisian office blocks, lifts stop operating and the air-conditioning shuts down. Employees swelter in stifling conditions. In Madrid, the usually-bustling streets are deserted and under the control of armed police. Meanwhile, over in Moscow, the city is crumpling under Martial Law and the imposition of crippling fuel rationing.
