Tag: energy mix

Renewable energy generation capacity in Europe grew by 13% in 2007, indicating a strong move towards low-carbon technologies, according to statistics published by electricity industry association Eurelectric on Monday (23 November).

Fossil fuel producers are dodging the global downturn as production of oil, coal and natural gas reached record levels last year, the Worldwatch Institute said yesterday (15 October).

The EU should focus its attention on building new power production and transmission capacity, because energy security is not only about diversifying supplies away from oil and gas, said speakers at a conference organised by the Czech EU Presidency. EurActiv Czech Republic reports from Ostrava.

Households and neighbourhoods feeding small-scale electricity and heat into a decentralised European energy grid: this is the vision developed by proponents of microgeneration. Yet at present, the EU's energy system remains centralised and dominated by large power plants. 

Speeding up research in low-carbon technologies is considered key to facing the twin challenges of climate change and energy-supply security but the EU is still lagging behind when it comes to big R&D budgets. In November 2007, the Commission tabled a Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) in an attempt to improve collaboration between the EU and member states on the issue.

The British government on Thursday approved plans to set up new nuclear power plants "well before 2020", setting no limits and giving a further push to the worldwide renaissance of nuclear energy.

Renewable energies alone will not be sufficient to deliver the ambitious CO2 reduction targets agreed by EU leaders for 2020, warned a top Commission official speaking to EurActiv. Nuclear power and 'clean' fossil fuels using carbon sequestration and storage will be needed if Europe is to make up for the shortfall, said Matthias Ruete, Director General of the Commission's Transport and Energy directorate.

Political leadership is vital in addressing energy poverty issues in Africa and other developing regions, writes Alejandro Litovsky for Open Democracy – calling on leaders to adopt a "stronger and more coherent vision".

Securing a diverse energy mix has been identified as a key policy objective in order to shield Europe from potential external energy crises and achieve supply-security and environmental sustainability in the long term.

More than 30 groups from around the world have come together to demand a moratorium on the EU's move towards sourcing biofuels from large-scale monocultures.

BusinessEurope, the Confederation of European Business, has questioned the EU's target of achieving a 20% share of renewables in the EU's energy mix by 2020, as agreed during the European Council of 8-9 March. It considers the target unreachable and cites industry concerns about the security of energy supply.