About: wind energy

Germany’s new coal phase-out plan: Lots of money, little climate ambition

An agreement reached in the early hours of Thursday (16 January) between the federal government and representatives of the four German coal states won't bring the country much closer to reaching its climate goals, analysts said.

Altmaier’s planned ‘turbine-free zones’ could halve Germany’s wind energy potential

Proposals to introduce a minimum distance of 1,000 metres between wind turbines and buildings have attracted fierce criticism from the German environment ministry, which said the draft new rules would derail the country's plan to boost renewable energy by 2030. EURACTIV Germany reports.

‘Green’ jobs see slight rise in Germany

In 2017, 263,883 people were employed in the environmental sector in Germany, which was about 12,600 more than in the previous year. Although this means that the amount of so-called "green jobs" saw a slight rise in Germany, the stagnating wind industry continues to hamper growth. EURACTIV Germany reports.

World’s second floating wind farm sets sail for Portugal

The first turbine from the WindFloat Atlantic project was successfully towed from Ferrol, Spain, towards its destination 20 km off the coast of Viana do Castelo in Portugal on Saturday (19 October), in what constitutes a world second for floating wind.

Wind power: What next for Europe?

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Europe is the cradle of the wind energy industry and is still rightly perceived as a global leader in the sector. But fresh projects have slowed in recent years, pointing to new challenges for the EU’s wind energy sector in...

New Danish government puts climate change centre stage

Only a few days after the European Union failed to agree on 2050 carbon neutral climate target, Denmark’s Social Democrats and their three center-left allies agreed on Wednesday (26 June) on a political program that aims at promoting one of the most ambitious climate policies in the world.

Germany seeks to jolt its stalled wind industry with new offshore plan

Germany's wind sector is barely growing any more. To achieve its self-imposed 65% target for renewables, Germany has made the promise, for the first time, to heavily expand its offshore wind farms. EURACTIV Germany reports.

‘Historic breakthrough’: Norway’s giant oil fund dives into renewables

Norway’s $1tn oil fund, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, is to plunge billions of dollars into wind and solar power projects. The decision follows Saudi Arabia’s oil fund selling off its last oil and gas assets. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.

French wind energy ‘in limbo’ for more than a year

New wind energy projects in France have come to a standstill due to the government’s indecision over who should be responsible for delivering construction permits.

No decarbonisation without electrification

Decarbonising Europe’s economy means replacing fossil fuels by renewables wherever possible. And that implies getting much more renewable electricity into heating and transport, writes Giles Dickson.

China outshines Europe in 2017 clean power investment ranking

Solar power dominated a global ranking of new renewable energy investments “like never before” last year, with China accounting for more than half of the world’s new capacity, the UN said on Thursday (5 April). Investments in Europe, on the other hand, recorded a massive drop.

Germany solidifies top ranking in EU wind power league

Germany installed 42% of the EU’s new wind power capacity in 2017, a year that saw the industry installing more supplies than any other form of energy across the European Union, according to fresh industry statistics published on Tuesday (13 February).

EU Parliament wins plaudits for backing 35% renewables target

European lawmakers approved draft measures on Wednesday (17 January) to raise the share of renewable energy to 35% of the EU’s energy mix by 2030, setting the stage for tough talks with reluctant EU member states in the coming weeks.

WindEurope: ‘Consumers are still paying for yesterday’s renewables’

Wind turbines installed up to fifteen years ago required heavy state subsidies, usually in the form of feed-in tariffs, remarks Giles Dickson. But this is no longer the case, he says, urging governments to use market-based systems like auctions, which guarantee stable revenues.

Report: Nuclear power on the decline

Nuclear power seems on its way out, as construction of only one new nuclear reactor was undertaken in 2017, according to the World Nuclear Industry Report 2017. EURACTIV France reports.

Electricity markets reimagined: Flexible by design

In just over a decade, we will be able to build a new electricity system around renewable energy that is cleaner, produces almost no carbon emissions, costs less than a system built around natural gas, and is just as reliable, writes David Nelson.

Nuclear lobby boss: Winning back public opinion in Europe? An easy challenge

The best thing to do to win back public opinion in Europe and globally is to build reactors on time and on budget, Jean-Paul Poncelet told EURACTIV.sk at the European Nuclear Energy Forum in Bratislava.

World’s largest offshore wind farm receives go-ahead in UK

The world's largest offshore wind farm has yesterday (16 August) received development consent from the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Secretary Greg Clark. EURACTIV's media partner edie.net reports.

Climate finance short by $5 trillion, study reveals

A further $5,300 billion of investment is needed to stabilise the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere below dangerous levels, according to a study by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, an energy consultancy. EURACTIV's partner Journal de l'Environnement reports.

German electricity transmission CEO: ‘80% renewables is no problem’

Germany’s pursuit of a low carbon economy, the Energiewende, is in full swing, but questions have emerged over its feasibility. EURACTIV’s partner Der Tagesspiegel spoke with Boris Schucht, who is head of one of Germany’s largest electricity providers.

Energy interconnection brings big emissions cuts for Malta as the EU loses ground

CO2 emissions in the EU rose by 0.7% in 2015, but Malta's interconnection with Sicily helped the island cuts its carbon footprint by more than a quarter. EURACTIV France reports.

EU curtailment rules could increase onshore wind costs by 17% by 2020

Economic curtailment is an issue not yet fully appreciated by most investors in renewable energy, but it has the potential to reduce the availability and increase the cost of investment, writes Brian O’Connell.

Julian Popov: The future of gas in Europe is uncertain

Gas demand in Europe will most likely continue to decline. This is the reason why the competition for additional gas import infrastructure is so fierce and politicised - there is simply no need for more, Julian Popov told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.