Energy Summit briefing - renewables key to growth

Brussels, 2 February 2011 - Renewable power and energy efficiency are at the heart of this week’s energy summit – forming a headline section in leaked draft conclusions, according to media reports. This reflects the increasing importance of renewables in power production, job creation and energy security. But while Europe’s renewables sector is flowering, it stands to fall behind without clear political support.

*Greenpeace energy campaigner Louise Hutchins said*: ///“Our leaders should back high-tech, clean energy to deliver the growth and jobs Europe needs. In the run-up to the summit, France and the Czech Republic have been trying to warp a discussion point on clean energy targets to favour nuclear power. If successful, this could threaten Europe’s flowering renewables sector.”

* Renewable investment outstripping conventional power sector*

• In 2009, for the second year in a row, more was invested in new renewable energy capacity than fossil fuel capacity. More than €109billion was invested in new renewable energy capacity and manufacturing plants, up from just €22billion in 2004.

• There are now approximately three million jobs in renewable energy worldwide, with projections for 8.5 million by 2030 (REN21 global status report).

• Global investment in solar photovoltaic technology could double from €35-40 billion today to over €70 billion in 2015, according to a study < published today by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and Greenpeace International.

*Renewable generation and jobs*

• Renewables now contribute around 18 percent of total electricity production in the EU.

• Renewables will constitute 37 percent of Europe's electricity mix by 2020 according to national action plans.

• Germany has the most installed capacity, followed by Spain and Italy.

• The EU has 84,074MW of installed wind power. Average annual market growth is 17.6 percent, according to the European Wind Energy Association.

• There are now approximately 400,000 renewable energy jobs in Europe. The European Renewable Energy Council predicts 1.2 million by 2030.

*China leading the race *

• Last year China boosted spending on low-carbon energy by 30 percent to $51.1 billion, ‘‘by far the largest figure for any country,’’ (Bloomberg New Energy Finance)

• In 2010, China for the first time overtook the U.S. in the Ernst & Young quarterly index of the most attractive countries for renewable energy projects.

• Since 2005, China has doubled wind installation every year, according to the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association. Last year, China built 16GW of wind power, bringing its total 41.8GW, the largest capacity of any country.

* Nuclear an expensive headache*

• One new reactor went online in the EU in the last decade, while 20 were decommissioned.

• Four new reactors are being built in Europe, in France, Finland and two in Slovakia. Finland is four years behind schedule and at least €2.6 billion over budget. France is two years behind schedule and at least €1 billion over budget.

• Nuclear power is increasingly clashing with renewable generation in Europe. Last year thousands of Spanish wind turbines were shut off to allow nuclear plants to continue producing inflexible power.

ENDS

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