Energy Union heralds smart grid switch
ECIU Director Richard Black comments on EU's draft Energy Union strategy
By George Smeeton
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The EU’s draft Energy Union document shows the intention to switch the EU’s electricity supply system to a ‘flexible, smart low-carbon grid’, says Richard Black, Director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).
The European Commission today published the draft Energy Union strategy alongside the EU's proposed emissions reduction target under the UN’s climate process (INDC, or Intended Nationally Determined Contribution).
Richard Black said: “The EU’s draft international climate pledge doesn’t contain any surprises – essentially it is taking what EU governments decided to do back in October, and putting that package of measures and targets forward into the UN climate convention.
“The Energy Union proposals are a bit more interesting and show that in principle the EU doesn’t want to continue with an electricity system dominated by fossil fuels, but switch to the kind of flexible smart low-carbon grid being pioneered in Germany, which should lead to a cheaper and more secure system that’s less dependent on Russia.
“But it’s odd that the proposals contain more fine-sounding words than concrete measures on reducing energy waste given that this is a policy no-brainer and, in the UK at least, supported by nearly 90% of the public.”