Wind Energy

EU – Wind energy targets for 2020 and 2030

At a time when fossil fuel prices are spiralling, the threat of irreversible climate change is on everyone’s minds and serious questions are being raised over the cost and safety of nuclear, wind energy is considered more widely than ever a key part of the answer.

This updated edition of Pure Power once again shows the huge contribution wind power already makes –and will increasingly make – to meeting Europe’s electricity demand and strengthening its economy, and to avoiding polluting and costly fuel and carbon.

Wind energy currently meets 5.3% of the EU’s electricity consumption from an installed wind farm capacity of 84.3 GW. The European Wind Energy Association’s scenarios show that wind power in 2020 should meet 15.7% of EU electricity demand from 230 GW, and by 2030, 28.5% from 400 GW.

Indeed, EWEA believes wind energy can provide half of Europe’s power by 2050, with the remainder from other renewable sources. To ensure the continued buoyancy of the wind energy sector and the path to 100% renewables in 2050, EU renewables legislation is needed now for the period after 2020.

This should follow the successful legislation so far by setting an ambitious, binding renewables target for 2030. Such a target would take the EU from 19% renewable electricity today, to an expected 34% in 2020, and to 100% renewable electricity by 2050.

In addition to post-2020 legislation, investment is urgently needed in electricity infrastructure in order to transport large amounts of wind energy from where it is produced to where it is consumed and to create a single electricity market in the EU. Issues such as funding for research must also be tackled.

As wind power grows year on year, so do its benefits for the EU. Jobs are created, a world-leading European industry is strengthened, carbon emissions and fuel imports are avoided. Pure Power is a detailed and encouraging picture of how the wind turbines sector is likely to evolve and the positive impact it will have.

We wish you informative reading of what is, we hope, an essential reference book for anyone interested in the world of wind energy.

Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive Officer, European Wind Energy Association
Arthouros Zervos, President European Wind Energy Association

www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/publications/reports/Pure_Power_III.pdf