Brussels, 13/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - The MEPs are proposing measures to make the best possible use of the great potential for the small-scale production of electricity and heating in the EU.
On Thursday 12 September, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the basis of the report by Judith Merkies (S&D, Netherlands), calling for a boost to micro-generation. “The Commission and the member states need to be aware of the potential for small-scale energy production by the citizens. Micro-generation allows consumers to take the lead in the energy transition, whilst reducing the amount of energy they have to buy, thereby helping to prevent energy poverty”, Merkies explained. Little attention has been paid to micro-generation up to now, even though the Parliament has already asked the Commission to propose incentive measures to stimulate small-scale energy production, the rapporteur stresses. She wants this to be a cornerstone of the EU's energy policy.
In its resolution, the Parliament calls on the Commission to focus on the potential of micro-generation in the future and to take account of its role in future Community legislation, such as the energy and climate package between now and 2030. The decentralised and small-scale production of energy is an opportunity for households and SMEs in urban and rural areas, as it can make them active players in the energy sector, whilst helping them to control their energy consumption, it stresses. On a larger scale, micro-generation can also help with the transition to a decentralised and flexible system, which will help the EU to achieve its climate and energy security objectives.
Among the obstacles to the large-scale development of micro-generation, the Parliament cites high start-up investment costs, the complexity of the administrative procedures involved and the lack of awareness of the energy and cost savings offered by these technologies. MEPs call on the Commission to draft recommendations based on best practice to help regulators and network managers simplify and streamline the administrative procedures involved in the management and connection of generation units to the national grids and stress the need for one-stop shop procedures. Lastly, they call on the Commission to assess the potential capacity of micro-generation and to ensure that it is admissible for European funding for the period 2014-2020. (EH/transl.fl)