Chair: Christian Hey, German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU)
Recently, the WG commented on “Stock Taking Document” of the European Commission, called “Towards a new Energy Strategy for Europe 2011 – 2020”. These comments relate to the arguments proposed in the EEAC Statements of 2008 and 2009 outlining energy infrastructure policy needs from a long-term perspective. The WG welcomes the reflections launched in the consultation paper, but the choices ahead should be communicated in a clearer, transparent and open way. In this document, the WG puts full decarbonisation forward as criterion for the primary selection of different energy technology pathways, and in this context it also considers other sustainability criteria.
Ultimately, a transition scenario towards a 100% renewable power sector therefore should be one of the options to be considered for 2050 Road-Map and effectively compared with other power mix scenarios.
As the European Commission has indicated, the existing framework for TEN-E is insufficient and needs to become “more strategic, coherent and better resourced”. In that respect, the role of ACER also needs to be strengthened.
Download document containing the Chair's comments (pdf.)
On March 22, the WG Energy held a workshop in the premises of
the EESC (European Economic and Social Committee) in Brussels with the title "Scenarios
and Policies for Decarbonisation". This event was also registered
under the activities within the European
Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW). The workshop's purpose is to bring some
of the scenario writers on energy together and to discuss common and diverging
assumptions, methods and outcomes. Eventually this will lead also to some
shared policy conclusions. Christian Hey, chair of the Working Group Energy,
initiated this event, as a follow-up to the EEAC 2009 Statement "Towards
Sustainable European Infrastructures" where 10 steps towards
decarbonisation are highlighted. The workshop focused on the analysis of
the Eurelectric study "Power Choices - Pathways to Carbon-Neutral
Electricity in Europe by 2050".
In his conlcusion, the WG Chair states that that renewable sources in Europe
have the potential to provide most if not all the electricity needed. 100% RES
(Renewable Energy Sources) for electricity can be achieved at competitive
costs while respecting biodiversity and while ensuring that the electricity
demand is met at all times. The scenarios illustrate, that electricity from
renewable sources may become the sustainable solution to our electricity
system.
Read
more.
Furthermore, the WG will contribute to one of the priority topics identified by the Forward Looking Paper, namely "Going beyond the New Green Deal".
Chair: Christian Hey, German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU)
During 2009 the Working Group Energy (WG Energy) prepared the EEAC Annual Conference and Statement 2009 (pdf., 500 kB) "Towards Sustainable European Infrastructures" with the focus on transport, energy and green networks. In the point of view of the WG, the success of the EEAC 2009 Conference and Statement is outreach, with attendance from the Commission, EESC, ESDN, and interest by the European Movement. A press release summarises the highlights of the 2009 Statement.
In June councils with delegates in the WG were asked to endorse the Statement. 19 councils in total endorsed the document.
In October the Statement was officially presented at the Annual Conference in Dubrovnik together with a press release. The WG also initiated the dissemination process towards stakeholders.
In December the WG Biodiveristy chair Noel Casserly (COMHAR-SDC, IE) met with representatives of the DG Environment and presented the part of the 2009 Statement on green infrastructures.
download the 2009 Statement and the press release
For the main outcomes of
the past years, please continue reading the archived
pages
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Last update: 5 August 2010