Page 8 - European Energy Innovation - summer 2019 publication
P. 8
8 Summer 2019 European Energy Innovation
CLEAN ENERGY FOR ALL EUROPEANS
Clean Energy for All Europeans
– an important step for enabling
the clean energy transition
By Dominique Ristori (pictured), Director-General for Energy, European Commission
As we approach the rulebook through what we call the to facilitate the integration of
14th edition of the EU Clean Energy for All Europeans renewables into the grid and more
Sustainable Energy Week package. Based on the Commission broadly strengthen the internal
(EUSEW), this is a good proposals from November 2016, eight energy market. So that our energy
moment to remind ourselves of new pieces of legislation have been prices will remain affordable for our
what an important part of the adopted. citizens and competitive for our
calendar this forum has become as industry, our energy technologies
the flagship annual event for those By establishing a comprehensive have a strong industrial basis in
working to build a secure energy future proof legislative framework Europe and can compete in a global
future for Europe. Bringing together to drive the energy transition, and and growing market, and investment
public authorities, private companies, by providing in this way certainty are based on market signals, rather
NGOs and others, it provides a vital and predictability to investors, we than subsidy signals.
platform for catching up with the can facilitate the necessary public
latest advances, comparing notes and private investment to achieve Each Member State has now drafted
and strengthening contacts within this transition along the whole a National Energy & Climate Plan
the sector. Through the various energy system – starting from (NECP) to outline how it intends to
activities and events, including the research and innovation, to electricity reach these objectives in the period
Policy Conference, Energy Days, the generation and the better integration from 2021-2030. The Commission
Sustainable Energy Awards and the of renewables, cross-border services are currently analysing
Networking Village, EUSEW highlights infrastructure, through to end-use these drafts, with a view to coming
the successes and the challenges consumers. forward with country-specific
of the clean energy transition that is recommendations on each draft by
taking place across Europe. In more concrete terms, the new the end of June.
rules outline our ambition for where
As this will be the last EUSEW under we want to be by 2030. And how to These plans also include a longer-
this Commission mandate, it is also meet our commitments under the term view, looking forward to 2050
a good moment to take stock. In Paris Agreement on fighting climate – and each country’s broad view of
this article, I would therefore like to change. where they intend to be mid-century
highlight the areas in which we have in order to achieve a carbon-neutral
made progress, but also take the We have set new, EU-wide targets for economy. This follows on from the
opportunity to underline that there 2030 for an at least 32% renewables Commission’s Long-term Strategy
is far more to be done in future. share in the final energy consumption “A Clean Planet for All”, published
While fully recognising the important and energy efficiency savings of least last November, which outlines how
progress we have made in many 32.5%. And we have also committed Europe can lead the way to climate
areas, such as low carbon mobility to achieve a level of 15% inter- neutrality by investing into realistic
and revisions to the Emissions Trading connectivity by 2030 – up from 10% technological solutions, empowering
System, allow me to centre my in 2020. citizens, and aligning action in key
thoughts around energy policy issues. areas such as industrial policy,
But the changes go much further finance, or research – while ensuring
Last month we were able to finalise than just the numbers. We have social fairness for a just transition.
the biggest EU energy policy reform redrawn the rules for the functioning
for 10 years, rewriting the policy of the EU electricity market – In line with the five dimensions of the
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