EU Commission's Energy Efficiency Plan 2011
Greater use of (high-efficiency) cogeneration, including from municipal
waste treatment plants, and district heating and cooling can make an
important contribution to energy efficiency, according to the
target=”_blank”>EU Commission’s Energy Efficiency Plan 2011.
The commission said the Union has set itself a target for 2020 of
saving 20% of its primary energy consumption compared to projections,
and why this objective was identified in the Commission’s Communication
on Energy 2020 as a key step towards achieving our long-term energy and
climate goals.
Substantial steps have been taken towards this objective - notably in
the appliances and buildings markets. Nonetheless, recent Commission
estimates suggest that the EU is on course to achieve only half of the
20% objective.
According to the Commission, the EU needs to act now to get on track to
achieve its target. Responding to a call from the European Council to
take “determined action to tap the considerable potential for higher
energy savings,” the Commission has developed its new
target=”_blank”>Energy Efficiency Plan.
The Commission said that it will propose that where there is a
sufficient potential demand, for example where there is an appropriate
concentration of buildings or industry nearby, authorisation for new
thermal power generation should be conditional on the adoption of
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technologies.
To improve the energy-saving performance of CHP systems, the Commission
also proposes that electricity distribution system operators provide
priority access for electricity from CHP, and will propose reinforcing
the obligations on transmission system operators concerning access and
dispatching of this electricity.”
Next stages:
“The Commission will monitor the implementation of the Action Plan and
translate these actions into a legislative proposal in the coming
months. It will report on progress in spring 2013. If the review shows
that the overall EU target is unlikely to be achieved, the Commission
will propose legally binding targets for 2020.
For now, the priority is for binding measures to help Member States,
companies and citizens alike to achieve their savings objectives and to
save on their energy bills.”
The Communication added that the binding measures put forward in this
plan will be implemented through appropriate legislative instruments,
including a legislative proposal encompassing revision of the existing
Energy Services and Combined Heat and Power Directives.
The next steps during 2011 will be the adoption of that proposal; the
adoption of new ecodesign and energy labeling measures; the launching
of the Smart Cities and Smart Communities initiative; and proposals on
financing tools which will be brought forward during the budgetary
discussions of 2011.
Impact assessment:
Public consultation on Smart Cities and Communities Initiative closes
on 13th May 2011.
target=”_blank”>http://ec.europa.eu/energy/technology/consultations/20110513_smart_cities_en.htm
The questionnaire asks cover:
waste treatment plants, and district heating and cooling can make an
important contribution to energy efficiency, according to the
target=”_blank”>EU Commission’s Energy Efficiency Plan 2011.
The commission said the Union has set itself a target for 2020 of
saving 20% of its primary energy consumption compared to projections,
and why this objective was identified in the Commission’s Communication
on Energy 2020 as a key step towards achieving our long-term energy and
climate goals.
Substantial steps have been taken towards this objective - notably in
the appliances and buildings markets. Nonetheless, recent Commission
estimates suggest that the EU is on course to achieve only half of the
20% objective.
According to the Commission, the EU needs to act now to get on track to
achieve its target. Responding to a call from the European Council to
take “determined action to tap the considerable potential for higher
energy savings,” the Commission has developed its new
target=”_blank”>Energy Efficiency Plan.
The Commission said that it will propose that where there is a
sufficient potential demand, for example where there is an appropriate
concentration of buildings or industry nearby, authorisation for new
thermal power generation should be conditional on the adoption of
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technologies.
To improve the energy-saving performance of CHP systems, the Commission
also proposes that electricity distribution system operators provide
priority access for electricity from CHP, and will propose reinforcing
the obligations on transmission system operators concerning access and
dispatching of this electricity.”
Next stages:
“The Commission will monitor the implementation of the Action Plan and
translate these actions into a legislative proposal in the coming
months. It will report on progress in spring 2013. If the review shows
that the overall EU target is unlikely to be achieved, the Commission
will propose legally binding targets for 2020.
For now, the priority is for binding measures to help Member States,
companies and citizens alike to achieve their savings objectives and to
save on their energy bills.”
The Communication added that the binding measures put forward in this
plan will be implemented through appropriate legislative instruments,
including a legislative proposal encompassing revision of the existing
Energy Services and Combined Heat and Power Directives.
The next steps during 2011 will be the adoption of that proposal; the
adoption of new ecodesign and energy labeling measures; the launching
of the Smart Cities and Smart Communities initiative; and proposals on
financing tools which will be brought forward during the budgetary
discussions of 2011.
Impact assessment:
Public consultation on Smart Cities and Communities Initiative closes
on 13th May 2011.
target=”_blank”>http://ec.europa.eu/energy/technology/consultations/20110513_smart_cities_en.htm
The questionnaire asks cover:
- Electricity and heating /cooling grids;
- Waste heat
- Waste management
- Sould be quantitative indicators to measure cities’ efforts to
increase efficiency and sustainability (such as, e.g. primary energy
consumption per inhabitant or per square metre; increase of share of
renewable energy sources; reduction of CO2 per inhabitant or per square
metre).
This Content has been supplied
by the Confederation of
European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP).
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