11 January 2021
The revision of the Energy & Environment State Aid Guidelines – WindEurope response to the European Commission consultation
WindEurope welcomes the possibility to provide input to the revision of the Environment and Energy State Aid Guidelines (EEAG). State aid rules are of utmost importance for the development of the wind energy sector as they represent the tool used by the European Commission to assess the compatibility of national support mechanisms for renewable energy with internal market rules.
Aligning the European State aid policy with the Green Deal objectives means for the European Commission to:
- Ensure revenue stabilisation mechanisms like two-sided Contracts for Difference or sliding feed-in premiums are applied by Governments
- Continue to support technology-specific auctions
- Ensure Governments provide long-term visibility on wind energy volumes in auctions
- Ensure corporate Power Purchase Agreements and market-based support mechanisms (such as Contracts for Difference) coexist as revenue stabilisation mechanisms.
- Ensure Guarantees of Origin are given to all renewable energy produced
- Ensure industrial and commercial consumers transition to an electricity-based energy supply
- Ensure that the guidelines factor in the contribution of renewable-based electrification
- Ensure the EEAG reflect the contribution of renewable hydrogen in delivering climate neutrality
- Provide a level-playing field between fossil fuel and electricity taxes
