10 January 2018
WindEurope Bulletin January 2018 Foreword
CEO Foreword
Dear WindEurope Member,
Allow me to begin by wishing you all the best for the New Year.
At the end of November the WindEurope Board approved an 8-point work plan that will shape our activities for the coming year. I’d like to take this opportunity to take you through it.
First, we will strive to secure a positive outcome to the EU’s Clean Energy Package. We had some good news on this at December’s Energy Council meeting. Unlike the European Parliament Committees which supported raising the EU’s 2030 renewables target to 35%, EU Member States are sticking with 27% for now. But they did endorse the Commission’s proposals for detailed national energy plans and the requirement that they always give 3 years’ visibility on renewables support. This will improve visibility for our supply chain including chemicals, steel, construction and other sectors – every €1,000 invested in wind generates €250 value for them. The Ministers also agreed 3 dates for interim targets towards the 2030 EU target. This video gives you an update of what the Ministers agreed and where things stand overall on the Package.
Second, we will rebalance our communications and advocacy more towards the demand side. This means helping and encouraging energy consumers (household, commercial and industrial) to opt for renewables, including via the electrification of transport and heating.
Third, we need to push even more on long-term investment signals. We will work more with governments to get auction design right. We will continue to support the expansion of corporate renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) throughout Europe. We will organise a second edition of the RE-Source event to further connect corporate buyers and renewable energy sellers/operators.
Revenue stabilisation through auctions and PPAs is key. And we need to think more broadly about how we can thrive in a more merchant environment. As part of this we’ll be pushing for further progress on carbon prices, both at EU and national level.
We’ll then be pushing for more flexible energy systems to integrate higher shares of variable renewables. For regulations that incentivise demand response services. For electricity markets more fit for renewables. We’ll continue to work closely with the EU Commission and TSOs on grid investments and network codes. We also need to make sure governments and other stakeholders understand it’s getting easier and cheaper to integrate variable renewables.
We’ll also be working to shape the development of the EU’s R&D priorities for 2021-27. We need to ensure R&D has a central place in the new EU Budget and that both onshore and offshore wind – and system integration – get high priority within that. This’ll be key to ensure our supply chain continues to thrive.
Our main event this year is the Global Wind Summit in Hamburg in September. Hamburg Messe are running the exhibition. We’re running the conference (this time inside the Messe) – as ever, it’ll be a top conference! We’re also doing a technology workshop on the analysis of operating wind farms in Vilnius in May. And a “Grid meets Renewables” conference in Brussels in February. Don’t forget, our events are more than events – all the learning, contacts and revenues they generate… we reinvest them in the Association’s advocacy and business intelligence work.
Finally, we’ll be vigorously communicating the economic benefits of wind, especially at local and regional level. With your help we’re developing a Regional Map that charts wind industry success stories across Europe. It’ll be an invaluable tool to illustrate the socio-economic impact of our supply chain and our wind farms. It’s in the final development stages – please tell us if you have a success story that’s missing before we launch it in the spring. All this work – plus our media outreach – aims to win over hearts and minds at a local and national level.
So those are our goals this year. As ever, we’ll need your support: at our Working Groups, at our events and through your own engagement with governments and other external stakeholders. Thank you for your support. We look forward to working with you.
– Giles Dickson
CEO, WindEurope
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