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European Commission adopts 2050 Energy Roadmap (15 December 2011) On 15 December the Commission has adopted its Energy Roadmap for 2050, which "seeks to develop a long-term European technology-neutral framework in which [national energy] policies will be more effective". It argues that "a European approach to the energy challenge will increase security and solidarity and lower costs compared to parallel national schemes by providing a wider and flexible market for new products and services." The Communication looks to build on the 20-20-20 objectives, which will "continue to deliver beyond 2020 helping to reduce emissions by about 40% by 2050. They will however be insufficient to achieve the EU's 2050 decarbonisation objective as only less than half of the decarbonisation goal will be achieved in 2050." The Roadmap then goes on to identify five different "decarbonisation scenarios": High Energy Efficiency, Diversified supply technologies, High Renewable energy sources, Delayed CCS and Low nuclear, examining the advantages and disadvantages of each one. This leads to a number of conclusions regarding the future, notably on the priority that has to be given to energy efficiency in the period from 2020-2050, the increasing role that renewables will have to play, the key role of gas during this period, which will "be critical for the transition of the energy system, the potential trend of "transforming other fossil fuels", and nuclear energy as "an important contributor" The Roadmap then goes on to give a number of indications regarding the Commission's future approach regarding energy markets, in a chapter entitled "Rethinking energy markets", as well as pointing to how it intends to continue down the road of actively seeking to drive infrastructure development in the EU, on the back of its proposal for a new infrastructure fund for energy of some 10 Billion Euros in the 2013-2020 EU Budget. Although the Roadmap does not go so far as concrete legislative proposal for the post-2020 period, it does provide a number of areas with clear guidance of what is in store. It concludes with 10 "conditions" that must be met to achieve the "transformation" of the EU energy market that "creates a new landscape for European Industry and can increase competitiveness". It is essential reading for all professionals active in this area. The full text of the Communication. The Roadmap 2050 and its consequences will be explained and discussed in detail next month at the 7th Annual EU Energy Law and Policy Conference in Brussels with Commission speakers who were involved in the creation of the Roadmap. Click here for the conference line-up (31 January & 1 February 2012).  Other articles from December: List all messages of the previous month: November 2011 List all messages of the next month: January 2012 |