European governments are paying out €58 billion in “capacity mechanisms” to support coal, gas and nuclear plants, according to data gathered by the NGO Greenpeace and published on Thursday 13 September. Spain takes the lead with €17.9 billion, ahead of Poland (€14.4 billion) and Belgium (€6.5 billion).
The capacity mechanisms (mechanisms to value and remunerate electricity production units based on their available power) have increased almost four-fold over the past 20 years, Greenpeace explains. It states that, from 1998 to 2018, such subsidies to the old, polluting power plants cost consumers €32.6 billion.
Ninety-eight percent of such subsidies go to fossil fuels and nuclear energy: 66% goes to coal, while gas receives 25%. Nuclear receives 4% but France and the United Kingdom provide 31% and 14% to nuclear respectively. Renewable energies receive no more than 0.5%.
National governments and the European Parliament must take a decision by the end of the year, as part of the “electricity” package, on whether or not the capacity mechanisms will be restricted by EU law, states Greenpeace (see EUROPE 12094). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)