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At a Glance: Increasing Flexibility in the EU Energy System - Technologies and policies to enable the integration of renewable electricity sources
The original full study explores the current and future flexibility needs in the electricity system as well as existing and potential solutions to efficiently integrate renewable energy and facilitate electrification of end-uses. Key findings highlight the importance of flexible electricity generation, demand response and energy storage solutions for daily, weekly, and seasonal flexibility provision. However, challenges persist due to inadequate market rules and regulatory frameworks, and economic ...
Increasing Flexibility in the EU Energy System - Technologies and policies to enable the integration of renewable electricity sources
This study explores the current and future flexibility needs in the electricity system as well as existing and potential solutions to efficiently integrate renewable energy and facilitate electrification of end-uses. Key findings highlight the importance of flexible electricity generation, demand response and energy storage solutions for daily, weekly, and seasonal flexibility provision. However, challenges persist due to inadequate market rules and regulatory frameworks, and economic issues. The ...
Renewable and low-carbon hydrogen: State of play and outlook
Hydrogen is a feedstock used in the petrochemical industry and can also serve as an energy carrier. Currently, 96 % of hydrogen in the EU is produced from natural gas, a process that emits considerable amounts of CO2. When the CO2 is captured and stored, it is known as low-carbon hydrogen. Another technology for producing hydrogen is water electrolysis, which breaks water down into hydrogen and oxygen. If electrolysis is powered by renewable electricity, there are no CO2 emissions, and the hydrogen ...
Confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate: Jozef Síkela – International Partnerships
Jozef Síkela (Mayors and Independents Party, STAN) affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP), has served as the Czech minister for industry and trade since December 2021. In this position, his focus has been on reducing his country's reliance on Russian gas, developing the use of renewable energy sources and securing stakes in German and Dutch liquefied natural gas (LNG). Síkela has served in various banks, notably as the head of the Slovak Savings Bank and as board member of the Austrian Erste ...
Security of energy supply
Energy supply security is often defined as the availability of an adequate supply of energy at a reasonable cost. Even a partial supply disruption can have severe consequences, which the European Union has experienced on several occasions. Over the years, energy market developments have affected the EU's economic situation time and again, from the 1970s oil crisis to the 2009 gas crisis and 2022 energy price crisis following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With the exception of coal, the ...
Energy transition
Energy transition is central to the European Union's ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets - 55 % by 2030 and net-zero by 2050 - have accelerated the move away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources and increased energy efficiency. The REPowerEU plan and other EU measures launched in response to the energy crisis meanwhile brought to the fore the importance of ensuring energy security and energy affordability. Existing EU legislation ...
Europe's 2040 climate target and path to climate neutrality by 2050
The IA offers a convincing explanation of the need to set a 2040 climate target. It is crucial, for instance, to provide predictability for the Member States, stakeholders, investors and decision makers, and to step up the current pace of emissions reductions across all sectors in order to meet the 2030 target. The assessment includes three policy options for analysis. The theoretical option 1 (O1) corresponds to the linear trajectory under the ECL and is assessed as being below the baseline. Option ...
What if electrification transformed the EU economy?
Electrification is the process of replacing technologies and systems that rely on fossil fuels with those powered by electricity, often sourced from renewable energy. Electrification is gaining momentum across many sectors, including transport, buildings and industry, driven by the EU's climate ambition and security of supply. As the cost of renewable energy technologies like solar and wind continues to fall, electrification presents an opportunity to reshape the European economy, enhancing competitiveness ...
Fit for 55 package
The 'fit for 55' package of July and December 2021 was designed to realise the European Climate Law objectives: climate neutrality by 2050 and a 55 % reduction of net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. It consisted of 13 interlinked proposals to revise existing EU climate and energy laws, and six new legislative proposals. All proposals, except the Energy Taxation Directive, have been adopted by the European Ϸվ and the Council of the EU. The package seeks to ...
Improving the design of the EU electricity market
On 14 March 2023, the European Commission proposed a reform of the EU electricity market to reduce price volatility for consumers and incentivise investment in low-carbon energy. The reform included two legislative proposals – on electricity market design (EMD) and on protection against wholesale energy market manipulation (REMIT). One aim was to improve consumer protection by increasing the availability of fixed-price contracts, enhancing supplier obligations and incentivising energy communities ...