The European Commission launched on Tuesday 18 January two public consultations in the energy sector: one on the future EU strategy for solar energy and the other on guidelines to facilitate the implementation of renewable energy projects.
The solar energy initiative will take the form of a European Commission Communication and will aim to: - identify barriers to investment in solar energy under existing rules (tendering procedures, financial support schemes, permits, grid connection, guarantees of origin, etc.); - propose measures to accelerate the deployment of this energy source; - make the EU’s solar energy systems more competitive and resilient.
It will also examine how solar energy can contribute to addressing the challenges of the just transition and energy poverty.
In order to meet the EU’s climate targets, the European Commission estimates that solar energy capacity must triple from 120 GW in 2020 to 420 GW in 2030.
The second initiative will be a European Commission recommendation. It will aim to provide an overview of best practice in removing barriers to the implementation of renewable energy projects.
Among these, the European Commission’s roadmap mentions: - the length of permitting procedures; - the complexity of the rules and procedures for site selection and administrative authorisations; - network connection problems; - the staffing of licensing authorities.
It will also aim to facilitate power purchase agreements, including across borders.
While the European Commission plans to focus this initiative primarily on the electricity sector and wind and solar technologies, the guidelines “would also take into account the lessons learned from the public consultation on other technologies, where appropriate”, according to the European Commission’s roadmap.
Both initiatives are scheduled for the second quarter of 2022. The consultations will close on 12 April.
To participate in the consultations: https://bit.ly/3AdYT6q; https://bit.ly/3qI1NgU (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)