EU 2020 Renewable Energy Goals Unlikely to be Met
The challenge facing the European Community in reducing its dependence on imported fossil fuels is clearly illustrated in the International Energy Agency’s just published review of EU energy policies.
“The EU energy economy will become increasingly reliant on energy imports – with import dependence reaching 64% in 2020 and 67% in 2030 in business as usual projections, up from slightly more than 50% at present.”
Dependence on oil imports continues to be highest, reaching 95% in 2030.
Dependence on gas imports would rise substantially, from 58% at present to 84% in 2030. Similarly, solid fuel supplies would increasingly be based on imports, reaching 63% in 2030 (up from just under 40% today).
Oil, gas and coal production in the EU is set to decline significantly by 2030 and be only partially offset by increases in renewable sources of energy.
The EU’s renewable energy supply (RES) target of 20% for 2020 cannot be attained without strong additional policies, the report says.
…under currently implemented policies, the renewables share in final energy demand rises by 4 percentage points between 2005 and 2020, reaching 12.5% in 2020.
The report suggests the EU will need to enact more stringent enforcement of the targets. The challenge is made even more difficult by pressure to rescind or reduce the current requirement that 10% of liquid fuels come from biofuels.
In addition to urging the implementation of already agreed policiies, the IEA urges an substantial increase in R&D and a reallocation of R&D funding from nuclear power to renewables. Almost 40% of the energy funding is targeted at nuclear fusion, a technology that is only expected to contribute past 2050. “It will be important for the achievement of the EU climate change targets that this funding allocation is revised at the earliest possible opportunity, and that funding for non-nuclear energy research and development is increased significantly.”
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