European Union News - Energy

The project BIOBOOST ('Biomass-based energy intermediates boosting biofuel production'), which will be launched early 2012, aims to promote and develop energy resources based on residual biomass. This project meets the general opinion of EU citizens who support research to promote and develop alternative energy resources.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) launched two initiatives which are aimed at preserving and upgrading skills in the nuclear field in the EU. According to JRC, the initiatives are approved because trends such as workforce ageing and phasing out of nuclear power plants in some EU Member States could jeopardize important knowledge on nuclear maintenance and preservation if no action is taken.

According to an analysis from the European Environment Agency (EEA), homes energy is responsible for one quarter of European greenhouse emissions. Homes in the EU only emit 12% of energy emissions directly, but this doubles when related emissions from power plants and district heating are factored in.

The Environment Committee at the European Parliament voted in favour to take out of the next phase of trading the Emissions Trading System (ETS) credits in order to help lift the sinking carbon price. In addition, MEPs also voted on measures aiming to get the EU on track to meet its 20% energy efficiency target by 2020.

The Council adopted conclusions on the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 focusing on the concrete measures required to achieve its main targets: protect species and habitats, maintain and restore ecosystems among others. In addition, Environment Ministers also adopted conclusions on the Roadmap to a Resource-Efficient Europe proposal.

The European Commission adopted a Green Paper and launched a public consultation on the future of LED-based lighting. The consultation has been launched because although LED lighting is one of the most energy-efficient and versatile forms of lighting,Europe also faces a number of challenges and more input is needed from citizens and businesses to refine the policy. To this end a consultation will run until 29 February 2012 to collect feedback on the Commission's ideas.

The Energy Roadmap 2050 presented by the Commission explains the consequences of a carbon free energy system and the policy framework needed. According to the Commission, the Roadmap will allow Member States to make the required energy choices and create a stable business climate for private investment, especially until 2030.

The additional funding needed for the ITER project has been approved by Parliament's Budgets Committee. The approval includes to revise the multi-annual financial framework for 2007-2013 and raise the annual budget ceilings for 2012 and 2013. In order to apply this new funding for ITER project, it is still needed the approval by the Parliament as a whole and the Council.

The EU-fund EcoGrid project will run a pilot real-time market place for distributed energy resources on the Danish island of Bornholm by asking 2,000 electricity customers to reduce their power consumption when the wind is either too weak or too strong for the wind turbines on the island to work. The project seeks to reduce the consumers electricity grid.