European Union leaders gave a push to renewable energy on Friday, eyeing higher targets for sources like wind and solar power as the 25-nation bloc tries to reduce its dependence on foreign energy suppliers. A summit of EU leaders called on the executive European Commission to analyse raising the share of renewable sources to 15 percent of energy consumed in the EU by 2015 from a current target of 12 percent by 2010.

They also called for a study into raising the proportion of biofuels, derived from crops or waste, used in the transport sector to 8 percent by 2015 from a goal of 5.75 percent by 2010. The drive for more ambitious targets comes despite European Commission forecasts that EU states will not meet their current goals for renewable energy use on time. The leaders asked the Commission to study how progress on that might be improved.

The EU sees the renewable energy sector as a key way to offset import dependence. The bloc is projected to rely on non-EU countries for 70 percent of its energy in 20-30 years, up from 50 percent now. Environmental group Greenpeace welcomed the new targets, though it said it would have preferred a longer-term goal. "It is a welcome day when EU leaders recognise that a future without renewable energy is no future at all, and that the time for postponing action is past," said Greenpeace climate change expert Mahi Sideridou. "The call from leaders to the European Commission is clear: we need a proposal for long-term renewable energy targets, and soon. Such a concrete measure is vital to pave the way for a truly sustainable and competitive European energy policy."

Spain, Malta and Greece opposed the renewable energy targets, an EU official said. Apparently to address those concerns, the conclusions said the "problems of islands or regions largely isolated from the EU energy market" should be taken into account. Renewable energy can be generated by using solar panels, windmills, hydroelectric plants, and biomass. The sector is popular with environmentalists because it is less polluting than traditional sources like coal and gas. But it has often relied on public subsidies to compete with its higher-polluting peers.

The leaders conclusions seemed to recognise that by calling for measures to ensure it was easier to integrate energy from renewables sources into existing grids. They called for: "mitigating legislative and administrative obstacles to renewables take-off by facilitating access to grid, cutting administrative red-tape and ensuring the transparency, effectiveness and certainty of support policies."
(Planet Ark, 27/03/2006)