THE EU’S NEW ENERGY PLANS

Energy Roadmap 2050: Renewables crucial for decarbonisation of the energy sector
Alexandre Roesch, December 15, 2011 (European Photovoltaic Industry Association)

"After several months of intense discussions, the European Commission presented…its Energy Roadmap 2050, exploring five decarbonisation scenarios to achieve an 85% domestic energy related CO2 emissions reduction by 2050.

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"The Roadmap recognises the increasing role of electricity in this evolution, highlighting the…importance of starting the transition now…Renewables are, together with energy savings, seen as crucial pillars for the energy system transformation…beyond 2020…[I]n all scenarios, the share of renewable energy rises substantially, up to 97% in the electricity portfolio of the High Renewables Scenario."

Against this background, however, the Roadmap lacks ambition when it comes to the post-2020 regulatory framework for renewables. It simply mentions the need for concrete ‘milestones’ for 2030, whereas EPIA and its umbrella association EREC (European Renewable Energy Council) are calling for a binding 45% renewable target for 2030.

"While all decarbonisation scenarios feature similar overall system costs, proving that a purely renewable-based strategy is economically sound, the Roadmap leads to unrealistic conclusions when it comes to the prices of electricity in the High Renewables Scenario...[ due to its reliance on a questionable economic model]…This document will now serve as a basis for a political discussion under the Danish presidency, which intends to produce Council conclusions in June 2012."