Renewable energy gets a boost
European Commissioner for energy and transport and Parliament, Loyola de Palacio welcomed the approval of a directive on the promotion of renewable energies in the electricity market made at the Energy council on 6 December in Brussels. The proposal would both help attain commitments set at the Kyoto summit and double the percentage of renewable energies in the consumption of energy in Europe from 6 to 12 per cent, by 2010. The agreement 'is a big step towards a more diversified and environmentally-friendly energy supply,' said Ms de Palacio. The agreement will help to establish a framework in which the promotion of renewable sources of energy can take place while Member States continue to strive for their own national environmental targets. The directive will involve several tangible steps, which include establishing a certification system which would state where 'green' energy originated and requiring that Member States define their national objectives for renewable energy source consumption, permit priority access for renewable energy, improve and accelerate authorisation procedures for creation of green electricity plants and ensuring that the costs of doing so are not prohibitive. 'Renewable energies should be wholeheartedly supported if we are to fight against the greenhouse effect,' said Ms Palacio, who congratulated ministers on moving so quickly on the issue.