EU to exceed 2020 green energy target
- New forecasts suggest the European Union will exceed its target of getting 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources in 2020, the European Commission said.
The latest national projections submitted by governments to the EU executive suggest the 27-nation bloc could reach an overall renewable share of 20.3 percent by the end of the decade.
"These forecasts show that member states take renewable energy very seriously and are really dedicated to pushing their domestic production," EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said.
Spain and Germany forecast the largest surpluses in 2020, predicting they will exceed their national renewable targets by 2.7 and 0.7 percentage points respectively.
This will help to make up for projected shortfalls in several EU countries, including Italy, which expects to miss its 17 percent target by 1 percentage point.
EU governments that miss their 2020 targets will be forced to buy surplus renewable production from other countries to make up the difference, or could face legal action from the Commission, a spokeswoman for Oettinger said.
Related News
Cost of US nuclear generation at ten-year low
WASHINGTON - Average total generating costs for nuclear energy in 2017 in the USA were at their lowest since 2008, according to a study released by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).
The report, Nuclear Costs in Context, found that in 2017 the average total generating cost - which includes capital, fuel and operating costs - for nuclear energy was USD33.50 per megawatt-hour (MWh). This is 3.3% lower than in 2016 and more than 19% below 2012's peak. The reduction in costs since 2012 is due to a 40.8% reduction in capital expenditures, a 17.2% reduction in fuel costs and an 8.7%…
