By Thomas Becker, CEO of EWEA The economic and political winds of change for Europe’s energy security are in full flow. With Ukraine on the brink of civil war and an IPCC report calling on the world’s governments to invest in renewables immediately, Europe’s policymakers face a dilemma that cannot be solved with words alone. […]
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On their second time around, European MEP’s yesterday voted in favour of ‘backloading’. This means that the number of permits to pollute released under the Emissions Trading System (ETS) will be temporarily reduced by 900 million tonnes of carbon. This will increase the cost of carbon to industry and create an incentive to pollute less. […]
Global Wind Day photo competition winners announced
June 19, 2013
To see the winning photos, click here to read this post on the EWEA blog. Wind energy at work is the theme that united all winners of this year’s Global Wind Day photo competition. From a turbine tower being lowered into place to turbines set in agricultural backgrounds juxtaposed harmoniously with nature all around, this… » read more
The world is not on track to reach its goal of limiting global temperature increase to 2°C, warned the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Monday. Highlighting the need for intensive action in the energy sector before 2020, the IEA noted that the energy sector accounts for about two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions from burning… » read more
WWF calls for massive investment in renewables
June 8, 2013
Government and financial institutions around the world must pledge to invest at least US$40 billion (€30.6 billion) in renewable energy over the next 12 months as a way of fighting climate change, according to a campaign launched this week by the environmental NGO the WWF. “We are running out of time,” says Jim Leape, director… » read more
By Zoë Casey Belgium’s supreme health council (Conseil Supérieur de la Santé, CSS) – a scientific body which advises the government – has called for a “reflection” on the development of wind energy citing apparent health concerns. The CSS would do well to note that an increasing body of evidence exists showing that there is… » read more
Rising energy dependency endangers Europe’s economy
May 23, 2013
By Zoë Casey The issue of energy may have been overshadowed by that of tax at yesterday’s EU summit of Heads of State in Brussels, but its growing importance and impact on Europe’s economy is one that cannot be ignored. As the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, Europeans are paying a lot for their energy… » read more
A hat-trick is the goal in the football and energy fields
April 23, 2013
Football fans know the value of a hat-trick – the triumvirate of goals that prove success for any striker. Though difficult to achieve, the hat-trick is worth striving for. The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) also wants to score a hat-trick. Their new publication proposes three targets to drive EU energy policy after 2020: renewable […]
By Zoë Casey If all the costs of fossil fuel power generation were detailed in German power bills they would exceed the costs of renewable energy “by a wide margin”, a study by Greenpeace Energy Germany and the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) says. Currently German power bills clearly outline the cost of the EEG […]
Wind powers over 10% of UK electricity needs
March 29, 2013
Wind power generated enough electricity to power four out of 10 UK homes last week – and that during a freezing March day and at a time when gas prices were at a seven year high. From 9.30pm last Thursday night for the rest of the night and day, wind power generated 5 GW of […]
Governments are endangering European jobs and growth
March 11, 2013
By Christian Kjaer, EWEA CEO Investing in wind energy makes absolute economic sense. Europe’s ageing power plants need replacing. It makes economic sense to replace a growing proportion of those conventional power plants with wind energy. This is because wind energy does the following: Creates jobs and economic growth in Europe. 238,000 people worked […]
By Philippa Jones Anti-wind power lobbyists have long contested claims by the wind industry that wind power is competitive with fossil fuels. But technological advances, making wind turbines bigger, smarter, and more competitive in all situations, mean the wind is fast being taken out of the naysayers’ sails. Both EWEA and GWEC, the Global Wind […]
EU Energy Commissioner promises post-2020 energy policy next year
February 18, 2013
At a special press briefing organized by The International Press Association in Brussels last week, EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger confirmed that he will be bringing forward proposals for post-2020 policy, before the current term of the Commission ends, which is 31 October 2014. He said that the Council would talk about binding targets in […]