EU energy market
Commission looks to give leg-up to nuclear and coal but undermine renewable energy
The European Commission will today publish its communication on the European internal energy market. The Greens hit out at the communication, which fails to address the unfair support for coal and nuclear power, and seeks to undermine renewable energy sources. Commenting on the communication, Green energy spokesperson Claude Turmes said:
“With this communication, Commissioner Oettinger is trying to give a leg-up to the flagging nuclear industry and coal power, whilst undermining renewable energy.
“The Commission is again taking aim at national support systems, which have proved successful in promoting the uptake of renewable energy, claiming they are a threat to the internal energy market. This is totally wrongheaded. On the contrary, renewable energy investments bring new competitors into the EU market, whilst causing no risks to society.
“It is completely unfair that the Commission is again seeking to undermine renewable energy support schemes, whilst completely ignoring the wider costs to society of coal and nuclear. The biggest distortions in the EU energy market are from the hidden costs of nuclear power – with taxpayers left to pick up the bill for nuclear waste and the decommissioning of nuclear plants – as well as the unrealistically low carbon price, which plays into the hands of coal and gas.
"The elephant in the room is the proposed reform of the UK electricity market. The support scheme foreseen by the UK government for nuclear power would effectively amount to €50 billion in subsidies for the industry. This reform is the biggest threat to the internal energy market, yet the communication totally ignores this development.
“The Commission is losing all credibility as an actor concerned with fighting for a true internal energy market.”
