EU research chief champions wind energy

Europe’s wind sector has enjoyed impressive growth in recent years, but even more effort is needed to boost one of the EU’s most promising sources of renewable energy in order to realise the EU’s energy policy ambitions, according to EU Research Commissioner Janez Poto?nik.

“It is clear that we need more than a ‘business-as-usual’ approach,” said Poto?nik during a 3 April speech at the 2008 European Wind Energy Conference (EWEC) in Brussels.

“Current mechanisms and models of cooperation for wind energy are insufficient to meet the challenges faced by the EU energy policy,” he said.

Various funding sources and initiatives exist to support the sector, including the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan (see EURACTIV LinksDossier) and the European Technology Platform for Wind Energy. 

And many EU member states, including Germany and Spain, have given generous support to the sector in the form of guaranteed buy-back prices or feed-in tariffs for electricity produced by turbines. Some EU money is also available through the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development (see EURACTIV LinksDossier).

But the sector faces funding constraints and shortages of skilled labour and turbine components (EURACTIV 02/04/08). 

In addition, and despite increases in loans for renewables projects from banks, many investors still prefer to fund fossil fuel installations given the quicker return time on investments, according to Jerome Guillet, director of energy projects at Dexia.

Similar financing woes plague an entire range of ‘low carbon’ technologies (EURACTIV 27/02/08). The Commission is aware of the issue and is expected to put forward a communication related to the financing of the SET Plan before the end of 2008.

In the meantime, Poto?nik is urging stakeholders to “continue to talk” to the Commission in order to find solutions.

Read more with Euractiv

European CO2 emissions up in 2007

Early analyses reveal a slight increase in EU industrial CO2 emissions in 2007, casting doubts as to the bloc's ability to honour its CO2 reduction commitments on time. However, analysts predict emissions will drop in coming years as the Commission begins to tighten the EU's carbon belt.