Reconciling a sustainable energy future with the liberalisation and privatisation of the European energy market
Program for a workshop (27 and 28 October 2000)
Wim Turkenburg, Ronald Flipphi
Introduction
Environmental advisory bodies in different member states of the European Union have co-operated informally for over seven years now, aiming at the exchange of knowledge and forwarding shared views to decision makers. Annually a conference addresses a subject of common interest. Also a limited number of working groups are elaborating on specific topics, mostly as a follow up to a previous conference. The VROM-council offered to host a workshop as a kick-off for a working group on energy and climate change. Many councils have an interest in market instruments and technology development given ever decreasing fossil fuel prices. This program was discussed at the Sesimbra meeting and all suggestions have been fitted in. The date of the workshop will be 27 and 28 October 2000 and location for this workshop.
Speakers have not formally been invited yet. Suggestions to proceed with the outcomes of the workshop are given.
Aim and title of the workshop
Following the recommendations of the Brundtland Commission and UNCED, countries aim for a more sustainable energy economy. Strategies to realise this target often comprise of four elements: (1) more efficient energy consumption, (2) larger shares of energy from renewable sources, (3) clean use of fossil energy sources and (4) use of low-carbon energy sources and technologies. Currently a liberalisation and privatisation of energy production and distribution in the European Union is being implemented. Meanwhile, fossil fuels are expected to remain available at low cost for decades to come. A substantial role for governments might be needed to reconcile these opposing targets under complicating market circumstances. The aim of the workshop is to share information, experiences, ideas and visions between councils in the EU. Councils may use the outcomes of the workshop in advising their governments to make effective decisions. The proposed title for this workshop is Reconciling a sustainable energy future with the liberalisation and privatisation of the European energy market.
Location and Date
The workshop will take place in Amersfoort, 27 and 28 October 2000, in the building of the Council for the Rural Area (Raad voor het Landelijk Gebied/RLG), Stationsplein 14, second floor, just opposite the railway station entrance. The hotel most of the participants will stay is "De Tabaksplant" in Amersfoort, 5 minutes from the station by cab.
Preparation
One of the participating councils from each country is expected to draft a report on the policies directed at a sustainable energy future in their respective countries.
These reports should include the following elements of the national policies and relevant proposals of the councils.
These descriptions should be available early-October. They will be made available for the workshop participants.
- A brief description of the current energy supply and a lookout on sustainable development in the energy sector.
- A description of the liberalisation and privatisation of the energy market, including the institutional reform (government involvement), juridical changes and realisation path and, if applicable, how the share of non fossil energy generation is enlarged.
- A description of how in future a sustainable energy supply will be promoted, including (options for) policy strategies, measures and instruments.
- A description of the EU policy that is conditional for the realisation of these national policies as in the previous bullets.
The VROM-council will commission four reviewers to focus on the themes of the workshop. As soon as the country reports are available, the reviewers may also make use of them. The reviewers will compare and analyse the current situation in the different countries and the policy proposals as well as their own views and suggestions for policies aiming at a sustainable energy future. The draft results of the comparison by these researchers should be available mid-October.
During the workshop the reviewers will present their views. These presentations will be the starting point for the discussions during the workshop.
Reviewers
Possible researcher that could also introduce the respective subjects during the workshop could be the following.
Prof. Kornelis Blok (Utrecht University)
Mrs. Cathrine Mitchell (Warrick Business School)
Mr. Jip Lenstra (Ministry for the Environment/energy department)
Prof. Walt Patterson
Programme
October 27
12.03 Arrival at Amersfoort (Centraal) Station, transfer by rented bus to hotel "de Tabaksplant" (early or late arrivals can take a cab to the hotel)
12.30 Welcome by Prof. Wim Turkenburg (Chair)12.45 Transfer to the recently built residential area ‘Nieuwland’
13.00 Visit of the zero-energy house
14.30 Tour in the area
16.15 Transfer to the workshop room, at the Council for the Rural Area, Stationsplein 14
16.30 Snack
17.00 Opening workshop by Prof. Turkenburg
What went on before Ingeborg Niestroy
- reports by councils
- SRU-RCEP workshop
Energy Sector Reform and Public Benefits
- introduction with emphasis on climate policy and instrumentation -by Prof. Turkenburg
The goals for this workshop
Technological options for sustainable energy supply
18.15 Introduction (Prof. Blok)
- problems on the supply side
- incongruence of supply and demand
- competing energy saving
- CO2 emission reduction potential (European scenarios)
18. 50 Tour de table or kick off response prepared by one of the participants
19.15 Discussion
20.15 Dinner
October 28
Liberalization of the European electricity and gas markets
9.00 Reopening
9.05 Introduction (by Mrs. Mitchell)
relevance of the liberalization for the development of a sustainable energy supply
9.40 Tour de table or kick off response prepared by one of the participants
10.05 Discussion
10.50 Break
Policy options and instruments
11.00 Introduction (Mr. Jip Lenstra)
types of instrument (tradable emission rights, taxes, …)
instruments for national policy
instruments for EU policy
11.35 Tour de table or kick off response prepared by one of the participants
12.00 Discussion
12.45 Lunch
Future sustainable electricity systems
14.00 Introduction (Prof. Walt Patterson)
14.35 Discussion
15.00 Break
The way forward
15.30 Findings of the workshop (Prof. Turkenburg)
message — procedure - distribution
16.15 Follow up (Prof. Turkenburg)
16.30 Closing remarks (Prof. Turkenburg)
Follow-up
The EU has decided on a liberalization of the energy sector. Different member states are currently implementing this liberalization, all within their existing national policies. All in their own unique way, these countries are trying to strike a balance between the liberalization and other policy goals such as answering to the Kyoto Protocol. This process is being complicated by ongoing technological development which also keeps fossil fuels abundantly available at low cost for a long period to come. Any successful policies should take these circumstances into account. Such policies could be on the national level or on the common level.
It could be discussed if the workshop results should be made available for the EU Commission.
This subject is debated or will be debated in different UN bodies such as the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). Several commissions have been created to prepare for the 2001-meeting of the CSD. One of these is Commission on Energy and Natural Resources for Development (CENRD). Although this commission focuses on developing countries, input from Europe could be instrumental. Although de working group will focus on EU countries, a report might be instrumental for the CENRD. It could thus also be discussed to make the results of the workshop available to the CENRD.
Further decisions on how to proceed in the working group should be decided at the closure of the workshop.
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