Renewable energy: European energy policy in sight – Reuters

M ike angle is optimistic. He currently sees increase the chances “that the German energy transition but is still a European energy policy”. What the Eon Manager is a hopeful sign, are the plans of the future EU president Jean-Claude Juncker. He has a top destination of his term output as the EU is to be a leader in renewable energy worldwide.

At present the reality in Europe still different. “Every country has found its own solution for the energy revolution,” Angle told the Handelsblatt Conference “Renewables 2014″ in Berlin. So there is a patchwork in the promotion of electricity from solar and wind energy. He criticized a “trend towards national self-interest in energy policy”. Though

The EU Commission also criticizes the efforts in the EU countries to go in the promotion of renewable own way, the differences seen but more in detail as the fundamental. So registered Joachim Balke of the Directorate General for Energy and more often premium models that are similar to the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). So-called quota systems in which fixed targets for energy sources are specified, on the other hand tend to be more on the retreat.

More competition

The EU Commission but wants to ensure that the promotion of stronger the most efficient plants benefit. She wants to assert that the operators of wind and solar systems have to face tenders. So the company should be identified that produce the electricity at the lowest cost. The fixation on feed-in tariffs would have an end.

Germany treading this path in the future. A similar provision is created in 2017 in the amended EEG in outline, but shall be filled in the next two years even with content. The provision was included also under pressure from the European Commission. “The question is whether we would have already done without the EU from 2017,” said Patrick Graichen, director of the think tank Agora energy revolution. “Now it must be to the tidy rules, so that the volume targets for the development of renewables can be achieved while preserving the actor diversity.”

For critics of tendering models argue that this would basically great actors favor. The typical straight for the German energy turnaround variety of operators of solar and wind energy plants perish. Today, much of the Ökokraftwerke in Germany, according to estimates by market research firm Trend Research in the hands of private individuals.

Security of supply guarantee

The government has recognized this problem. So stressed Christian level, Energy Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Berlin, his goal is to continue to allow the participation of citizens.

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As the tour de force of energy policy works in practice.

Eon Board angle looks even another issue that needs to solve a European energy policy: “We must ensure that future security of supply is ensured.” Because the share of renewable energies in the electricity market may soar. But solar and wind turbines can not guarantee that they will produce any time of sufficient power. In January there were some days when no sun shining and little wind was blowing. “That’s why we need conventional power stations, close these gaps, the” said angle. He called for “a decent remuneration for such reserve power plants”. France and Britain have already found a solution for this capacity markets. But also because he keeps as with the eligibility conditions for renewable energies, a common European solution would be useful.