The European Commission is working on a framework for developing Europe's electricity grids to integrate the massive increase in renewable energy expected in the next decade, a senior official said last week (28 January). Speaking at a roundtable debate in Brussels, Hans van Steen, head of unit at the Commission's energy and transport department, responded to calls for the power industry and policymakers to be brought together to agree on a grid development plan. "The Commission will be producing an infrastructure package, hopefully by the end of this year, where we will be looking at grid requirements," said van Steen, speaking at a conference in Brussels. He said the "package" would be looking at replacing the current Trans-European Energy Networks with new instruments. Moreover, it would address the issue of linking up new capacity for offshore wind in the North Sea.
Speaking at a roundtable debate in Brussels, Hans van Steen, head of unit at the Commission's energy and transport department, responded to calls for the power industry and policymakers to be brought together to agree on a grid development plan.
"The Commission will be producing an infrastructure package, hopefully by the end of this year, where we will be looking at grid requirements," said van Steen, speaking at a conference in Brussels.
He said the "package" would be looking at replacing the current Trans-European Energy Networks with new instruments. Moreover, it would address the issue of linking up new capacity for offshore wind in the North Sea.
After hashing out the formatting between nanne, afew and myself, and implementing some last-minute edits to the text, we sent off European Tribune's reply to the public consultation on the European Commission's Green Paper on Energy Networks (pdf!). You can find the submitted pdf uploaded here on ET, but the text is also reproduced below the fold. As in the first Debate thread and nanne's Draft diary, we answered the questions suggested on the Public Consultation page, but fronted it with a more general chapter, confronting the competition fetish in EU energy policy.
You can find the submitted pdf uploaded here on ET, but the text is also reproduced below the fold.
As in the first Debate thread and nanne's Draft diary, we answered the questions suggested on the Public Consultation page, but fronted it with a more general chapter, confronting the competition fetish in EU energy policy.
It is a criticism frequently leveled at those promoting wind or solar power as an alternative to fossil fuels: what happens when the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine? Well, now there is a smart answer, at least in Europe -- we'll simply and instantly switch to another source of clean, green power. Plans for a massive electricity grid dedicated to uniting the varied sources of renewable energy available in northern Europe have taken a step forward in January as nine countries formally agreed to work together on the project.
Well, now there is a smart answer, at least in Europe -- we'll simply and instantly switch to another source of clean, green power.
Plans for a massive electricity grid dedicated to uniting the varied sources of renewable energy available in northern Europe have taken a step forward in January as nine countries formally agreed to work together on the project.
