Europe is steps ahead of the rest of the world in its initiative to ‘go green’, with the European Union committing to some of the boldest renewable energy goals out there. At present, its current goal is to source at least 27% of final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030. However a new report from the EU commission (which was leaked to The Guardian) shows that this goal is set to be far exceeded, with the EU nations sourcing an incredible 50% of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2030.
As The Guardian shares, about a quarter of the EU’s electricity comes from renewable sources at present. But the EU also has another goal of reducing carbon emissions by 40% of their 1990 levels, and notes that: “[r]eaching the European Union 2030 energy and climate objectives means the share of renewables is likely to reach 50% of installed electricity capacity.”
Inhabitat summarizes that this means an overhaul of the continent’s electricity grid will need to come sooner than anticipated for it to keep pace with the transition to renewable energy sources. In addition, the commission’s report calls for “intraday cross-border power trading between countries so that renewable energy can be instantly dispatched to meet demand, without the need for storage.
The commission does note, however, that EU nations have made their own sustainable energy targets, ranging from “10% in Malta to 49% in Sweden.” In addition, the 27 percent goal for 2030 was made as a non-binding agreement—and the Netherlands, the UK and France may miss their own individual goals.
Oliver Joy, a spokesman for the European Wind Energy Association, spoke to The Guardian and called on the EU to establish a governance system to prevent some EU nations from falling behind those countries, such as Germany, who are forging ahead on with the transition to renewable energy.
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