System Operator

100% Renewable Energy Sources in 2050

Despite the volcano difficulties, on 16th April 2010, the EUFORES 10th Inter-Parliamentary Meeting on Renewable Energy Sources took place in Madrid, Spain, gathering more than 40 parliamentarians from 18 EU Member States. During the plenary sessions, the participants discussed the implementation of the RES-Directive, financing opportunities for renewables in times of economic crisis as well as regional aspects of renewable energy market deployment.

Parliamentarians also discussed scenarios for the European energy mix in 2050. The scenarios show that an energy mix of 100% renewable energy sources in 2050 is very much possible if the right measures are taken today and in the future. A site visit to the Spanish grid manager company Red Electrica and its Renewable Energy Control Centre CECRE showed that the integration of 100% renewable into the grids seems possible technically if the right measures are taken.

“The presented scenarios clearly suggest that an energy mix of 100% renewable energy sources in 2050 is not a utopia… but feasible. Now it is up to us politicians on European, national and local level to deliver the right policy instruments to assure an effective development of RES markets”, says Claude Turmes, President of EUFORES and Member of the European Parliament (MEP Luxembourg, Greens/EFA). “If we want to make these scenarios happen, we have to start today and keep up our efforts. Therefore, the RES Directive which defines the first milestone on this journey in 2020 has to be implemented successfully. It is the right time now to discuss the ideas which reach beyond 2020 –scenarios for 2030 and 2050”, Turmes adds.

Anni Podimata, EUFORES Vice-President (MEP Greece, Socialists & Democrats) emphasises that at the Inter-Parliamentary Meeting the reactions among policy-makers towards the scenarios were extremely positive: “This clearly shows that renewable energy sources have developed from a niche to a mainstream topic. At this conference many of the most active parliamentarians in the field have met and are willing to push the case for renewables in their respective parliaments all over Europe. It has been a very successful day. The journey towards 2050 is a long way to go – therefore we decision makers have to join forces.”

Fiona Hall, EUFORES Vice-President (MEP UK, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) notes recent research showing that the cost of reaching 100% renewable energy by 2050 had been greatly exaggerated. "In reality, it makes economic sense to invest heavily in renewables. This is where the new jobs will be created in all our Member States."

The EUFORES 10th Inter-Parliamentary Meeting was organised in cooperation with the Spanish EU Council Presidency, the Spanish Parliament and the Spanish Senate and gathered more than 80 key decision-makers in the field of renewable energy from the national Parliaments and the European Parliament, government representatives, European Commission officials as well as representatives from industry and science.

www.eufores.org