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On
May 10th, 2000 the Euro-pean Commission adopted a proposal
for a Directive aiming at giving a fresh boost to electricity
generated from renewable energy sources (RES). By 2010 this
should account for 22% of consumption compared with 13% today.
This is an ambitious goal that will neces-sarily ease some
of the brakes on development: more attractive purchasing tariffs
for investors, simpler administrative channels for setting
up production units, establishment of a single contact point
to facilitate examination of files, etc.
Representatives of the 15 European Union countries have until
the 5th of December — when the Directive will be discussed
by the Energy Council — to analyse the project and the consequences
of its implementation. The main provision of the Directive
is to establish national objectives for the generation of
electricity from RES, expressed as a percentage of actual
consumption. For France, this means increasing the amount
from 15% in 1997 (including large hydroelectric power plants)
to 21% by 2010.
In the coming months, together with its partners in the EnR
Club (European Energy Network of national energy management
organisations), and with industrial organisations and various
associations, ADEME will be studying the best scenarios and
types of support for each activity so as to meet the objectives
laid down by the draft Directive, at both national and European
levels. The main contributions could come from wind energy,
biomass and, to a lesser extent, small hydroelectric power
plants.
During his address on May 29th, 2000 at a conference on Renewable
Energies and Sustainable Development, Lionel Jospin, the French
Prime Minister, expressed his commitment to do his utmost
to ensure that the Directive would be adopted under France's
presidency of the European Union (during the second half of
2000). Indeed, France is now fully engaged in the process:
she sees in it a means of limiting the emissions of greenhouse
gases and also an opportunity to develop the industrial sector
linked to renewable energies.
Jean-Louis Bal
Deputy Director of Renewable Energies and the Buildings
Sector
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© O. Sébart/ADEME
© O. Sébart/ADEME
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