On Tuesday 18 June, WindEurope, the European Wind Energy Association, welcomed the European Commission's recommendations that the draft national Energy/Climate plans for renewable energy be made more ambitious, as otherwise the EU target of 32% by 2030 might not be achieved.
According to their plans, 15 countries do not intend to ensure that they do their fair share of the joint effort needed (Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom).
WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said in a statement: “The message from the European Commission is clear: failing to plan is planning to fail. (...) The Commission’s recommendations highlight the areas where countries need to step up their game e.g. permitting, electrification, corporate PPAs, and the repowering of existing wind farms. Member States now know what they’ve to do – ramp up the ambition and fill in all the policy gaps”.
The Association is pleased that the Commission is asking Member States to be specific about the measures that will allow investment in renewable energy - particularly measures involving repowering end-of-life wind farms, rationalising the issuing of permits for renewable energy, removing obstacles to companies' renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) and supporting the electrification of heating, transport, and industrial processes in their final plans. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)