Brussels, 17/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - In his opening speech to the annual conference on wind power, organised in Marseilles from 16 to 19 March by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), Andris Piebalgs, European Energy Commissioner, defended the competitive advantage of wind power, compared to other sources. “Wind energy can replace a large proportion of the polluting and finite fuels we currently rely on”, explained Piebalgs, adding: “it makes good sense to invest in indigenous sources of power which hedge against unpredictable fossil fuel prices and in which Europe has a real competitive advantage”. He welcomed the growth of wind farms in 2008, up 15% in the EU and 28.8% in the world as a whole. “Those who still think that wind energy will never be more than a 'marginal' energy source are, themselves, rapidly being marginalised”, he stressed. Records of electricity generation from wind power registered on 5 March in Spain, where nearly 25% of electricity produced in 2009 is expected to come from renewable sources, confirm the need to step up production capacity. To this end, the EU has adopted a legislative framework, the “renewables” directive (EUROPE 9805) to encourage and make secure investment in green energy and thus reach the 20% renewables target in the EU energy mix. After a presentation on the scope and main elements of the directive, Mr Piebalgs spoke of issues relating to the connection of energy produced by wind power to the electricity grid as well as wind infrastructure projects listed in the action plan of November 2008 on energy security - the offshore North Sea wind energy network and the Mediterranean Energy Ring (EUROPE 9782). The commissioner promised two communications on these two initiatives by end 2010. He also praised the European coordinator for offshore wind farms in the North Sea, Georg Wilhelm Adamowitsch, for his work over the past year and a half that has allowed a platform to be set up open to all stakeholders, and which facilitates greater crossborder cooperation. He also gave his assurance that the European Industrial Wind Initiative as part of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan, EUROPE 9549) is “now taking shape”. Finally, the commissioner said he awaited proposals within the framework of the 7th programme for R&D for one or two major collaborative projects aimed at demonstrating technologies to optimise the electricity grids and prepare them for large-scale integration of renewable electricity. (E.H./transl.jl)