On 22 January the European Commission published a proposal on the shape of the climate and power generation policy of the European Union for the period from 2020 till 2030. The White Book thoroughly changes rules of the game in the power generation market. It establishes goals concerning the reduction of the greenhouse gases by 40% for all Member States, a 27% goal in the field of renewable energy sources in the scale of the EU, and a promotion of a more effective utilisation of the energy. In the case of the RES, it may mean that each country will have to define its own input into the realisation of the RES goal, but it shall not be binding.
The European Commission’s proposals are interpreted so that the European Unionwants to get an improvement of the environment and a power balance not with orders, but with the wisdom of individual countries competing for a cheaper energy and conditions for a quicker economic growth. In fact it may entail a resignation of some countries from the transformation towards a low emission economy.
– In the case of Poland, a continuation of the power policy based on the domination of coal in the power generation mix shall entail increased costs of the national mining of the raw material and an increase in its import, as well as a further dependence of Poland on external suppliers. On the other hand, a further development of the RES is a step towards obtaining cheaper electricity – says Wojciech Cetnarski, President of PWEA.
A bigger share of green energy shall quickly transform into specific money for the state and a lower and balanced utilisation of traditional energy sources. However, a change in power generation frameworks requires a political determination, while the prolonging regulative lack of surety in Poland is rather scary for investors. Countries, which set out rigid climatic goals already today and assume a considerable share of the RES in the energy generation, attract the world capital.
– The regulative lack of surety in current European conditions is not an ordinary neglect from the part of officials only, but it is a threat to the power security and our welfare – stresses Wojciech Cetnarski.– Thanks to the binding RES goal for 2020, the renewable energy generation and sectors directly connected with it have started to develop dynamically in Poland. A binding goal for 2030 would maintain the trend and it would allow us utilise the RES potential mainly in a high power shortage regions.
Hence there results the immediate appeal of non-governmental organisations for wise political motivations going beyond short-term ones in reference to actions for the benefit of a development of renewable energy sources in Poland.
– Ecological organisations tend to define goals for the European Union at the following levels: 55% reduction of greenhouse gases, 45% share of renewable energy, 40% in the field of the power efficiency – says dr Andrzej Kassenberg, Eco Development Institute President.
We appeal to set out binding goals for 2030and promote an approach based on ambitious RES development assumptions, including the wind energy in Poland.
– A 35% share of the renewable energy is anabsolute minimum for the creation of conditions for an inflow of new investments, a higher power security and … do not worry to use this word – another civilisation leap for Poland –adds Wojciech Cetnarski.
The appeal of non-governmental organisations and the RES branch shall be considered within categories of strategic challenges for Poland today. It is one of the moments in the short history of our market economy, which may determine our place in the world for dozens of years. Whether we will be a country dependant on the import of expensive technologies from the West and supplies of minerals, or a country independently shaping its own welfare.