EU: Energy plan chooses looser technologies, say environmentalists

Greenpeace described the Strategic Energy Technology Plan, presented today, 22nd Novemebr, by the European Commission, as ?unstrategic?. According to the international environmental campaign group, the plan largely pursues existing policies on renewable energy on the one hand, and fossil and nuclear technologies on the other. Contrary to its intended aims, it fails to provide a strategic vision of how to power Europe with energy that is both environmentally safe and secure in its supply.

Frauke Thies, energy expert at Greenpeace European Unit, said: ?Under the umbrella of ?low-carbon? technologies, the plan fails to distinguish between the real solutions to the climate crisis, renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, and expensive technologies that either bear an unacceptable environmental cost, like nuclear energy, or that are mere distractions, like carbon capture and storage.?

?Only renewable energy technologies are at the same time environmentally and economically safe. Unfortunately, the Commission lacks the courage to say so. With its so-called Strategic Energy Technology Plan, the Commission fails to chose between winner and loser technologies. By continuing to waste precious time and money on dangerous fossil fuel and nuclear energy experiments, it is jeopardising the EU?s capability of preventing the most dangerous levels of climate change while this is still possible.?

Greenpeace has shown that half of Europe?s total energy needs could be delivered from clean renewable energy technologies by 2050. In an efficient energy system, renewable energies have the potential to deliver about 70% of electricity and 50% of heat supply by 2050.

?Despite its support for climate-friendly wind and solar technologies, the Strategic Energy Technology Plan insists on an outdated model of large and centralised power plants. This is incompatible with an innovative and sustainable energy system based on the efficient use of energy, generation of renewable electricity and heat, and a smart network and operation of electricity grids,? Thies concluded.

More info:
www.greenpeace.org