EU Energy Policy Blog

Grids are already developing offshore, and this development will continue even though at what pace and how they will develop is still uncertain. Indeed, there are different possible configurations for a future offshore grid: it can be a simple multiplication of standalone lines that provide each a single service (either connection of generation, or connection between transmission grids); or it can be a more integrated infrastructure like an offshore meshed grid that combines and interconnects dozens of offshore lines and generation units (hereafter combined solution). Continue reading »

Several EU member states are already taking their first steps on the path towards 2050. The Danish, German, and Irish governments have explored the policy options but the resulting strategies have not yet been legislated. In Finland, France, and the UK, a legal commitment has already been reached. The UK is the only member state that has reached the implementation stage of its legally binding 2050 strategy.
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Currently, about four out of five Europeans live and work in a city, with the share of energy use in cities being about the same. A global solution for climate change, even if achievable, would rely on the participation of these citizens so that it is essential to have policies at multiple levels, including at city level. Therefore, if the EU is to meet its energy and climate objectives, cities will need to become “smart”.
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Power exchanges are key market institutions. In the EU, the physical transactions they operate account for about 30% of annual consumption (more than 1000 TWh traded in 2009). They are also playing a growing role in coordinating access to interconnections.
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