About: Renewable Energy
Campaigners hail ‘historic breakthrough’ on revised EU biomass rules
Environmental groups claimed victory earlier this week after the European Parliament's environment committee voted on new rules clarifying what can be counted as "sustainable biomass" under the revised renewable energy directive. Others were more cautious though, saying the battle is far from over.
EU tables €300bn plan to ditch Russian fossil fuels, speed up green transition
The European Commission submitted on Wednesday (18 May) a €300 billion plan to eliminate Russian energy imports by 2027, although it admitted this would require short-term investments in new fossil fuel infrastructure to replace imports of Russian oil and gas.
Germany’s global hydrogen plans could accelerate climate change
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck plans to import hydrogen from all over the world to satisfy Germany's hunger for energy despite a new study questioning the climate-friendliness of hydrogen transport. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Speed up green transition to break from Russian fossil fuels, say 11 EU countries
Europe must speed up the rollout of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to eleven EU countries.
Germany unveils major electricity sector revamp
The German government presented on Wednesday (6 April) a comprehensive revamp of the country's electricity sector, outlining new frameworks for renewables, power grids and markets in order to set the country on track to reach climate neutrality.
LEAK: EU drafts plan to ditch Russian gas
Europe needs to build up its renewable energy capacity and diversify its gas supply to end its dependency on Russian gas, according to a leaked draft of the EU’s communication on energy prices seen by EURACTIV.
Permitting issues risk derailing EU’s renewable energy targets, warns wind industry
Complex and slow permitting procedures are stalling the rollout of wind power in Europe, meaning the EU will likely miss its climate goals and be dependent on unreliable gas supplies for longer, the wind industry has warned.
German electricity grid upgrade ‘will be expensive’, experts warn
Germany’s power grid is in dire need of upgrade to ensure stable supply in a country aiming to source 80% of its electricity from intermittent wind and solar by 2030.
EU says it is prepared for partial disruption of Russian gas flows
The European Union would be able to cope with a partial disruption to gas imports from Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Germany’s ‘hydrogen diplomacy’ under fire in Ukraine
Amidst rising military tensions between Ukraine and Russia, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s visit to Kyiv focused on the massive amounts of renewable hydrogen Germany aims to import in the future.
Germany will likely ‘miss its 2022 and 2023 climate targets’, Vice-Chancellor says
Germany missed its climate target for 2021 and is likely to miss them again this year and next, according to Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck who said the country “must triple the pace of emission cuts” to reach its 2030 goals.
New German coalition aims for 80% renewable power by 2030, more gas as back-up
The new German coalition on Wednesday (24 November) announced big plans to accelerate the energy transition, aiming to "ideally" exit coal by 2030, quadruple solar PV installations on all rooftops and push renewable energy capacity to 80% of the country's electricity mix by 2030.
German nuclear power shutdown will not lead to power shortage: report
The shutdown of Germany’s last nuclear power plants will not cause supply shortages, according to calculations by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), CLEW reported.
Spain says EU rejects its request to change power pricing mechanism
The European Commission has rejected a Spanish request to change the rules that underpin member states' electricity markets as power prices in the country hit record highs, Spain's Energy and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera said on Thursday (12 August).
Glass packaging industry goes electric, adding to growing demand for renewable power
Unlike the steel and cement industry, the glass sector has a clear path towards decarbonising its processes: electrification. Yet renewable electricity is scarcer than the industry would like, raising concerns about its ability to meet EU climate goals.
EU eyes tighter rules for ‘renewable’ biomass energy
The European Union is considering tightening rules on whether wood-burning energy can be classed as renewable and count towards green goals, according to a draft document seen by Reuters on Wednesday (16 June).
‘From champagne to table water’: hydrogen sector aims for drastic price cuts by 2050
The price of clean hydrogen can be cut drastically by mid-century if the EU creates a dedicated market structure to develop the fuel, according to the industry. Environmental groups, meanwhile, are sceptical about the emergence of a hydrogen economy.
Paris looks to citizen power to speed up energy transition
French citizens' cooperative EnerCit'if aims to install 14 solar power plants in Paris before the end of the year, a project that is being seen as an opportunity to boost citizen participation in the city's energy transition. EURACTIV France reports.
Green fuels and gases will be subject to sustainability certification, EU says
The EU's energy commissioner, Kadri Simson, has revealed details of upcoming fuel legislation, saying a certification scheme for renewable and low-carbon fuels and gases is on the horizon.
Electricity, heat and lithium: geothermal offers new hope for old mining county
A project in Cornwall, England, is building on the county’s history of tin mining, looking to restore jobs and boost the local economy by developing a new geothermal plant that will produce electricity, heat and, hopefully, lithium.
EU urged to strengthen ETS to reach 2030 climate goals
A strengthened emissions trading scheme (ETS) will be vital to drive further CO2 reductions in the European Union as the bloc discusses an increase of its 2030 climate target, policymakers say.
Green recovery led by industry or government – America’s choice between two futures
With the American presidential election next week, the climate policy of Joe Biden and lack of policy from Donald Trump has come into the spotlight: America will have to adapt to green technologies to keep up with the world and the question is whether its administration will dig its heels in or not.
IEA: States should invest $3 trillion in sustainable energy
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has presented its COVID-19 economic programme to facilitate the transition to an environmentally friendly energy economy. In doing so, it has distanced itself unusually clearly from the fossil market and is focusing entirely on renewables. EURACTIV Germany reports.