EU Gives Green Light To Renewable Energy

At present, the measures introduced by the EU are still mainly to deal with the short-term energy crisis, and the long-term effective guarantee of energy supply is not clear.

To diversify its energy supply, the European Union will accelerate the increase in the share of domestic renewable energy and reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels, according to an interim emergency policy proposal issued by the European Commission. Specific measures will include temporarily relaxing environmental requirements for building renewable energy plants, streamlining approval procedures and setting maximum approval times. However, the industry generally believes that the current measures introduced by the EU are still mainly to deal with the short-term energy crisis, and the long-term effective guarantee of energy supply is not clear.

Simplify the renewable energy management process

The European Commission says long and complex regulatory processes have been a major obstacle to the development of renewable energy and related infrastructure in Europe. Back in May, the European Commission proposed in its energy plan to streamline the approval process for clean energy projects; In October, the European Council also issued a call for countries to speed up deployment of renewable energy projects. However, deteriorating conditions in the European energy market have forced the commission to go further with the emergency proposal.

The emergency proposals are understood to target solar power, existing renewable power plants and heat pumps. In the solar sector, the emergency proposal would fast-track projects to install photovoltaic equipment on man-made facilities. Environmental assessments will no longer be required for such projects, with a maximum approval time of one month for the installation of photovoltaic panels, supporting energy storage facilities and grid connections.

At the same time, the EU will further simplify the approval process for retrofitting existing renewable energy projects to a maximum of six months. The retrofit project will also receive a more simplified grid connection procedure if the incremental generation does not exceed 15% of the original capacity.

In addition, the commission said it would provide a maximum approval period of three months for heat pumps, an important technology for renewable energy cooling and heating, and a simpler approval process for smaller heat pump projects.

According to the Commission, the development of renewable energy will help reduce the EU's dependence on fossil fuels, benefiting key sectors such as electricity, cooling, industry and transport, while the falling cost of renewable energy will help reduce the cost of energy in Europe. The provisions of the emergency proposal are currently set to remain in effect for one year.

Sparking environmental controversy

The commission's proposals are seen by the industry as a clear boon for renewables. Frans Timmermans, the EU's climate chief, said the proposal was another step to speed up the EU's green transition and tackle the energy crisis. "The EU has been able to increase its 2030 renewable energy development target from 55% to 57%." 'he said.

As Reuters previously reported, European renewable energy projects are often severely delayed due to ecological red lines in European countries and opposition from local residents. Many countries are unable to meet their renewable energy development targets. In Greece, for example, the average approval period of wind power projects given by the Greek Wind Energy Association can even reach more than 8 years. Previously, the European Wind Energy Association has repeatedly called on EU countries to speed up the approval of renewable energy projects, otherwise it will be difficult for the EU to meet its wind power installation targets.

It is worth noting that the proposal also points out that the "above public interest" classification of renewable power plants means that the approval of renewable energy projects will be subject to a more simplified environmental assessment process, which to a large extent avoids project development risks caused by bird ecology and habitat protection.

However, the phrase sparked protests from environmental groups across Europe. The EEB, Europe's largest environmental group, said in a statement that while Europe should push ahead with renewable energy installations as quickly as possible, it should not come at the expense of environmental requirements, a move that would create legal uncertainty and risk opposition at local level. Bankwatch Network, another European environmental group, said Europe should prioritize the use of idle rooftops for photovoltaic panels over environmental challenges. If the proposal goes through, Europe will face additional risks of environmental damage.

Long-term solutions are urgently needed

Despite the controversy, the industry sees it as the EU's bet to expand renewable energy as quickly as possible. So far, Europe is experiencing its worst inflation crisis since the second World War, according to a new report from climate think-tanks E3G and Ember. Statistics show that energy costs in Europe rose 40.8% in September from a year earlier, and inflation in the energy sector is driving inflation in the broader economy.

In this context, renewable energy generation has become the main tool for easing inflation in Europe. Between March and September, renewables accounted for 24 per cent of the EU's electricity supply, a record high, according to data compiled by E3G and Ember. The surge in renewable power generation has saved the EU more than 99 billion euros in energy costs compared with using imported gas.

Despite the outstanding performance of renewable energy generation, the EU's existing response falls far short of what is needed to further reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels. In recent months, the European Union has put in place a number of emergency plans to deal with a growing energy supply crisis. On the one hand, EU countries have significantly accelerated the speed of "gas hoarding". On the other hand, many EU member states have introduced a number of financial support measures to help residents reduce energy costs, with a total scale of hundreds of billions of euros, including key measures such as subsidies for residential heating.

Against this backdrop, the think tanks warned that the increasing spending by EU governments to tackle the energy crisis was clearly not sustainable and that European countries should urgently come up with long-term energy supply solutions in the face of high fossil fuel prices.