Energy
Academic: Integrated EU electricity market is ‘least-cost option’ for net-zero transition
With increased interconnection and trading across borders, European countries can lower the variability of wind and solar power and decrease the cost of the transition to clean energy, Leonardo Meeus told EURACTIV.
IPCC scientist: Europe can ‘triple’ biomass production while strengthening its green goals
The European Union could "triple" the amount of biomass produced on a sustainable basis over the coming decades while helping restore land degraded by industrial pollution, poor agriculture, erosion and climate change, says André Faaij.
Spanish MEP: Solar thermal needs to ‘at least triple’ by 2030
One of the lawmakers steering the revision of the EU’s renewable energy directive in the European Parliament has called on the European Union to "at least triple" or even quadruple the production of clean energy from solar thermal by the end of the decade.
Academic: We are probably entering a long period of high gas prices
With Russia’s war in Ukraine, the European Union is probably entering a long period of high gas prices, warns Ilaria Conti, saying the EU should use the crisis to mandate a storage obligation on EU member states and push for higher targets on renewable energy.
Analyst: Price collar would preserve ‘political stability’ of EU carbon market
Some form of price regulation, like a price collar or position limits on market players, could address worries about high prices on the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and help prevent "a political backlash", climate and energy expert Michael Pahle told EURACTIV in an interview.
Industry boss: ‘Without Russian gas, we are probably in the worst situation we’ve ever been’
European gas infrastructure operators are preparing for all scenarios in the coming winter, including one “with no Russian gas at all” and supply cuts for consumers, says Torben Brabo.
Permitting and supply chain issues must be tackled to boost wind sector, says industry
Wind energy will play a key role in helping Europe break away from Russian fossil fuels and increase its energy independence, but slow permitting and strains on the supply chain need to be tackled if Europe wants a fast rollout of wind power, according to Sven Utermöhlen.
Industry chief: District heating sector looking at ‘other options’ than gas
Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is prompting the district heating sector to look at other options than fossil gas, with the industry’s representative in Brussels underlining the huge untapped potential of waste heat coming from industry and data centres among the immediately available options.
Russian ambassador Chizhov: Nord Stream 2 is not dead, it’s a sleeping beauty
In a wide-ranging interview, the Russian ambassador to the EU discussed his country’s military operation in Ukraine, plans to return to negotiations under another government in Kyiv, sending to court Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the effect of Western sanctions and more.
Think-tank: Bulgaria will be a net importer of electricity after 2030
Bulgaria is likely to become a net importer of electricity after 2030, accounting for about 15% of its needs, said Martin Vladimirov, Director of the Energy and Climate Program at the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), a European...
MEP Petar Vitanov: EU green fuel taxes ‘must not create additional inequality’
The European Commission has proposed wide-ranging legislation aimed at cutting emissions from road transport across the EU. But the various taxes embedded in the proposals run the risk of exacerbating inequality if not implemented properly, warns MEP Petar Vitanov.
Polish Green MP: Sadly, the German Greens couldn’t stop Nord Stream 2
While the German Greens in the coalition government succeeded in blocking Nord Stream 2 at the certification stage, there are fears the SPD could prevail, and the pipeline becomes operational, according to Urszula Zielińska, a Polish MP in an interview with EURACTIV.
Economist: Carbon trading is ‘a right first step’ to decarbonise buildings
Moving parts of the building sector under a separate carbon trading scheme, like the European Commission has proposed, “is a right first step” to address the complexity of the heating sector, which is spread across millions of buildings, diverging climates...
John Kerry: Carbon border tariffs are ‘a legitimate idea to have on the table’
The EU’s proposed carbon border adjustment mechanism is a “legitimate” instrument to consider, and the United States are “exploring it” as well. “It may be a tool that we have no choice but to employ if other countries are not going to be serious enough about reducing carbon,” John Kerry told EURACTIV in an interview.
Niels Fuglsang MEP: Revised EU energy efficiency rules must trigger immediate action
The revised Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) must ensure that EU member states take action in the short term and do not delay their efforts until the end of the decade, says the EU lawmaker responsible for drafting the European Parliament’s position on the draft legislation.
Greek official: ‘Investing in natural gas is both rational and unavoidable’
Greece is transitioning away from coal, but investments in natural gas are "rational and unavoidable" because they are needed to support renewable energy, Alexandra Sdoukou told EURACTIV.
Barbara Steenbergen: Green Deal cannot be paid by the most vulnerable tenants
The European Union must ensure that nobody is evicted when houses or apartments undergo major renovations, says Barbara Steenbergen. Moreover, rent increases if they occur, must be fully balanced by energy savings, she argues.
Consumer group: ‘Middle class people are also very much affected by rising energy prices’
The energy crunch has highlighted the high share of taxes paid by consumers for their gas and electricity. With the energy transition expected to cause further volatility on fossil fuel markets, a shift in energy taxation is now becoming an urgent priority, according to rights group Euroconsumers.
Analyst: EU must force Gazprom to supply gas to Russia-Ukraine border
In an exclusive interview, Ilian Vassilev, a former Bulgarian ambassador to Russia who became an entrepreneur and analyst, discussed the stakes around Nord Stream 2 pipeline and provided useful insights at a time when the European Commission should certify the controversial gas project.
Green MEP: Germany ‘may need some additional gas turbines’ to stabilise renewables
Sven Giegold, a Green MEP who is one of the key negotiators in the German government coalition talks, told EURACTIV that Germany will need "small volumes" of additional gas capacity in order to "stabilise" renewable power on the electricity grid. However, he is opposed to the inclusion of gas in the EU's green finance taxonomy.
Irish minister: Europe needs to move away from foreign-controlled fossil fuels
The EU needs to increase its renewable energy capacity, become more self-sufficient in energy production and move away from foreign-controlled fossil fuels, according to Ossian Smyth, Irish minister of state.
Industry: Geothermal energy requires European policy solutions
Geothermal power is a reliable and renewable energy source that is local by its nature and offers baseload power generation. Alongside energy efficiency measures and other renewable heat sources, like heat pumps, it could be part of the solution to Europe's energy crisis, says Sanjeev Kumar.
Finnish MEP: ‘I’m against the power creep in the EU’s forest strategy’
There is no such thing as a European forest, and those trying to introduce an EU-wide forest strategy that does not take account of regional differences “live in Fantasyland,” Finnish lawmaker Nils Torvalds told EURACTIV.