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Keep-on-track! Parliamentary Dinner Debate

"Future design of renewable energy markets"

Tuesday, 4 December 2012, 18:00 - 21:00, Members Salon, European Parliament, Brussels

The important issue of the future market designs for renewable is a topic that remains one of the most crucial in the further deployment of renewable energy sources.

Jan Geiss, EUFORES Secretary General, gave a welcome speech introducing the evening, EUFORES and the Keep-on-track! project which formed the framework for organising this parliamentary dinner debate. Thereafter, Simon Müller from the International Energy Agency, Renewable Energy Division, was invited to hold a key-note speech on the Future Design of Renewable Energy Markets. He presented several scenarios on the renewable power growth forecast, the market situation for renewables and discussed the challenges the renewable energy market faces. Please find his PowerPoint presentation in the column on the right.

After Mr. Müller’s presentation, the panel debate took place. The debate was moderated by Dafydd ab Iago, a journalist at Argus Media, and the panel was well balanced with representatives from a variety of backgrounds: Claude Turmes, Member of the European Parliament, Shadow Rapporteur for the Reul report for the ITRE Committee and the President of EUFORES; Tom Howes, Deputy Head of the Renewables and CCS policy Unit in DG Energy in the European Commission; Bugra Borasoy, Project Manager of Renewable Energies & International Climate Projects at EnBW (Energie Baden-Württemberg AG); and Josche Muth, Secretary General of EREC (European Renewable Energy Council). The discussion was interesting, diverse and heated at times.

Discussion topics were raised such as the over-allocation of ETS passed on to heavy industry, the very low CO2 prices, (the lack of) citizen disclosure, the question of how to make investing in renewables more attractive for private investors, the matter of coal and nuclear being refinanced instead of repaying investments, the issue of incumbents in the market and the problem of an uneven playing field, the unrealistic modelling and the lack of sufficient data to data to provide reliable modelling, the historical factors inciting unfair grounds for renewables (the EU’s roots lie in a coal and steel cooperation and the EURATOM treaty). Many interesting statements were made. Mr. Howes, from the European Commission, mentioned that in the coming months the Commission is dedicated to improving its knowledge about the energy market and to come to a coherent understanding of the situation.

Jan Geiss, EUFORES Secretary General, closed the debate. He thanked all the speakers and the participants for coming and opened up the floor for individual discussions to take place over dinner.

Please find the programme here.

Organised in the framework of:

 

Speaker presentation

 

Simon Müller: Future Design of Renewable Energy Markets

 

Supported by*

 

 

* The sole responsibility for the content of this event lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.