Brussels, 15/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - A recent European Environment Agency (EEA) report, “Europe's onshore and offshore wind energy potential”, concluded that the extent of wind energy resources in Europe is “very considerable”. According to the report, wind power's potential in the EU was three times greater than Europe's expected electricity demand in 2020, rising to seven times by 2030. Such forecasts, the EEA says, confirm that political decision makers have to integrate wind energy into the EU energy system. The report, welcomed by the wind energy industry, confirms, too, that the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) 230 gigawatt target by 2020 is “eminently achievable”. This would produce approximately 600 tetrawatt hours per year in the EU by 2020, equivalent to the power needs of 135 million homes in the EU (or almost 60% of EU households), and meet between 14 and 18% of total EU electricity demand. The report is available on the EEA website: http://www.eea.europa.eu (E.H./transl.rt)