Citizens are at the core of the EU’s most ambitious energy strategy to date, the Energy Union, according to the European Commission. But how exactly could they get involved? Since 2012 social scientists with the R&Dialogue project have been working on processes to engage citizens, NGOs and industry in the energy transition. Their conclusion: citizens and companies should cooperate in participatory, ‘democratic’ structures to create a … [Read more...]
State of the Energy Union: the political work has yet to be done
The European Commission appears to be making a valiant effort at getting the Energy Union’s goals internalised into an institutional process that does not scare off Member States wary of “more Europe”. However, writes Oliver Sartor of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), the key test for the Energy Union will be how well it can succeed at getting Member States to buy into its objectives. The Energy Union … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: Brussels Briefing on Energy for December 2015
Brussels correspondent Hughes Belin reports on the EU's first ever State of the Energy Union report, with details on achievements to date and legislative proposals to come in 2016. He notes the many challenges the internal energy market still faces, notably from national capacity markets. The European Commission has fleshed out its thinking on a new governance system for energy, including obligations for Member States. EU Energy Ministers … [Read more...]
The case against Nord Stream 2
By opening up an additional route for cheap Russian gas to Germany, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project may look like a good deal for Europe. However, its advantages are primarily short term, writes Agata Loskot-Strachota of the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) in Poland. In the longer term the pipeline increases the possibilities for Russia’s excessive influence on the European gas market, undermines the policy goals of the Energy Union, and … [Read more...]
EU’s first State of the Energy Union report: how it will deliver on climate and energy goals for 2030
The EU’s first-ever “State of the Energy Union” report is determinedly optimistic on progress, but offers little new information and appears to take just a small step towards resolving the biggest challenge of all: uniting national interests around EU priorities. Published by the European Commission on 18 November, the report is accompanied by a whole suite of studies in areas from energy security to climate action. The package sets out … [Read more...]
Security alert: Europe needs more grids, more power plants – say grid operators and generators
Under any decarbonisation scenario, whether dominated by fossil fuels or renewables, centralised or decentralised, €10 to €20 billion in annual investments in grid infrastructure will be needed in Europe in the decades out to 2050, concludes a multi-stakeholder consortium led by European Transmission System Operators in a landmark report. In another report, the European technical association for electricity and heat generation VGB PowerTech, … [Read more...]
Klaus Schäfer, future CEO of E.ON spin-off Uniper: “EU should set a target for gas”
The EU should define how much gas it wants by when, and recognise that Nord Stream 2 can provide additional security of supply, argues Klaus Schäfer, the incoming CEO of E.ON spin-off Uniper in this exclusive interview with Energy Post. Schäfer, who is currently Board member of the E.ON Group, says Europe is further away than ever from a single market for electricity and calls on policymakers to recognise that security of supply has a cost. He … [Read more...]
The new Polish government’s energy policy: expect more State, less market
The new Polish government will not just resist ambitious EU climate targets, it will also increase the role of the State in the energy sector, write researchers Kacper Szulecki (University of Oslo) and Andrzej Ancygier (Climate Analytics) . The conservative Law and Justice Party that has been swept into power intends to create a Ministry of Energy, which will take control of the major Polish energy companies, note the authors. The likely new … [Read more...]
A quiet gas revolution in Central and Eastern Europe
Turkish Stream, Nord Stream, South Stream, Nabucco - the discussion about the European gas market centres on big gas pipeline projects which are supposed to make Europe either more or less dependent on Russia. However, unnoticed by most observers, Central and Eastern European countries have been carrying out numerous smaller projects that together are radically transforming the European gas market, write Colin Harrison and Zuzana Princova of … [Read more...]
viEUws Brussels Briefing on Energy: all you need to know for October/November
Hughes Belin gives details on what to expect in the first State of the Energy Union report due from European Commission Vice-President, Maroš Šefčovič, on 18 November. In the meantime, he reports on the official signing off of a new gas interconnector between Lithuania and Poland, and looks ahead to an EU LNG strategy due next year. A public consultation on redesigning the European electricity market has closed and legislation on the back of … [Read more...]
Failure of Energy Community Treaty: if EU can’t make its neighbours clean up, can it be climate leader?
The Ministerial Council of the Energy Community – a Treaty between the EU, the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine – is expected to decide on far-reaching reforms this week. According to Dragana Mileusnic of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, the Energy Community Treaty has failed to bring progressive climate policies to Southeast Europe. Countries that have signed the Treaty have made practically no effort to live up to its obligations and … [Read more...]
Exclusive: The Overlay Network – telecom experts present revolutionary plan to integrate EU power market
Four Dutch managers with a background in the telecoms sector, led by former Chairman of KPN Royal Dutch Telecom Professor Wim Dik, have come up with a simple idea that would finally make possible a truly integrated EU electricity system. Under the name of EU PowerNet Initiative they propose the building of an ‘Overlay Network’ that would allow direct transmission of electricity between all countries even if they are not direct neighbours. The … [Read more...]
Are EU leaders about to shy away from effective climate and energy governance?
On 26 November the EU's Energy Ministers will decide on a new climate and energy governance mechanism. This will be crucial to delivering the outcomes that these leaders agreed on last year in climate and energy policy. However, the draft of the Energy Council’s Conclusions, already published on 30 September, is a cause for concern, writes Oliver Sartor of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI). Sartor … [Read more...]
New European trend: renewables without borders
So far there has been very little cooperation between EU countries in stimulating renewable energy, although better coordination could save tens of billions of euros in support costs. Now that the EU has decided not to have national renewable energy targets for 2030, more and more organisations and countries are trying to develop regional approaches to support renewables projects. The Heinrich Böll Foundation, a think tank close to the German … [Read more...]
Vieuws Brussels Briefing on Energy: All you need to know for October
European Vice-President, Maroš Šefčovič, is to present on the 18th of November a first-ever Communication on the State of the Energy Union. Brussels correspondent Hughes Belin also tells us that the Heating & Cooling strategy for Europe is now likely for early next year, and about the Commission’s update on the SET-plan, followed by the informal Energy Council on the 23rd of September. All the details in this month’s Energy Briefing. First … [Read more...]