10 January 2018
Wind industry Executives advocate market scale and ramping up R&I funding for renewables in Commission’s Clean Energy Industrial Forum
On 9 January, EU Climate and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete hosted the first meeting of the Clean Energy Industrial Forum dedicated to renewables. A group of 25 industry Executives representing a broad range of renewable energy technologies was convened by the Commission to outline priorities for enhancing Europe’s competitiveness in renewables, with an emphasis on Research and Innovation and trade policy.
The wind industry Executives in particular stressed the need for market scale and visibility on renewables deployment volumes in order to sustain the current cost reduction pathway. They also reiterated the industry’s call for a 35% renewable energy target ahead of the European Parliament’s plenary vote next week.
On Research and Innovation, the wind industry representatives called on the EU to increase funding for onshore and offshore wind, namely in relation to Operation and Maintenance, digitalisation, system integration and storage. They emphasised that maintaining the wind supply chain in Europe was critical to our competitiveness and key to maintaining Research and Innovation centres in Europe.
Members also called on the Commission to promote a dedicated trade agreement for environmental products and to enhance EU financial instruments to de-risk renewable energy projects in non-EU countries.
The recommendations of this Clean Energy Industrial Forum will inform ongoing policy discussions, including the EU Budget for 2021-27.
