EU pushes offshore wind to meet 2010 renewables target

Brussels (Platts)--24Nov2004

European Union member states are pushing offshore wind and other renewable
energy sources 'with high potential' as a way of meeting the EU's 2010
renewables target, the council of EU ministers said late Tuesday. 

The ministers expect Monday to adopt final conclusions on the European
Commission's May renewables report that warned that EU member states were
going to miss the EU target of 12% of energy from renewable sources by 2010.
For new technologies such as offshore wind, member states see a need for more
cooperation and planning between European network operators, the competent
authorities, and 'if appropriate' the EC, in integrating power grids and in
research and development to bring down costs. The slow take up of biomass is
one of the main reasons the EU is falling behind on its target, and member
states welcomed the EC's plans to develop a European Biomass Action Plan. They
want the plan to focus on power, heating/cooling and transport, and to be
based on scientific data and commercial experiences.

EU member states also see a need to improve market conditions for renewables
in general. Examples include reducing planning and licensing red tape, making
grid access easier and ensuring that the technical set up of a system does not
act as a barrier to new energies and new entrants. 

Member states agree that
they must pay more attention to preserving network stability, particularly to
cope with large injections of intermittent renewable power, and to provide
enough network capacity and cross-border interconnection. Long-term investment
should be supported by an 'appropriate policy framework' and efficient and
targeted incentives, said the council. And member states' systems will have to
be able to provide reliable guarantee of origin data. The council also plans
to ask the EC to work with member states to assess the potential and problems
of using renewables for heating and cooling.

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