EUROPE: The organisations that need to meet the challenges ahead

EUROPE: As the European wind industry becomes a major player, it faces challenges, particularly in transmission and regulation of trade. So who will help to make it happen? The following list, by no means exhaustive, includes many of the organisations named by key players in the industry as having a chance to shape the future of the sector.

5 May 2010

This article is part of 'Free movement of energy is required for 21st century EU'

ASSOCIATION OF EUROPEAN POWER EXCHANGES (EUROPEX)
Remit To promote power exchanges, support liberalisation of the EU electricity market.
Achievements Addressing cost of cross-border electricity exchanges and management of scarce interconnection capacity.
Expectations Wants to help create a more transparent, efficient and integrated energy market.

CENER National renewables centre for Spain
Remit Research and development of wind turbines and blades.
Achievements Europe's biggest public wind turbine testing lab for blades and drive trains.
Expectations To improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the wind sector.

COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN ENERGY REGULATORS (CEER)
Remit To help create one internal market for gas and electricity.
Achievements Acting as a platform for co-operation between national energy regulators and the EC. Expectations To inform on wind power and EU energy network.

EURELECTRIC
Remit Industry association to promote and develop the industry.
Achievements Promotes renewables integration and generation in the wholesale market.
Expectations Help to create a liberalised European energy market.

EUROPEAN AGENCY FOR CO-OPERATION OF ENERGY REGULATORS (ACER)
Remit New agency to create European network rules and offer advice on energy-related issues.
Achievements Too soon to say.
Expectations Aid implementation of the Third Legislative Package on the Liberalisation of the Energy Markets.

EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION
Remit To promote policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Europe and play a strong international role in mitigating climate change.
Achievements Will publish its Roadmap 2050 in spring 2010.
Expectations To help the EU to deliver a fully decarbonised, fully reliable power supply by 2050.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Remit EU's executive arm drafts legislation, implements decisions of the parliament and council.
Achievements Introduces legislation such as the directive on renewable energy, setting targets for EU to produce 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.
Expectations To make wind power, in particular offshore, key to EU electricity production via regulation, research and financial support.

EUROPEAN ENERGY FORUM
Remit To encourage discussions between energy sector players mainly in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Achievements Allows members to discuss and better understand energy issues.
Expectations More of the same.

EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF ENERGY TRADERS
Remit To stimulate energy trading through advice to policymakers and regulators, training, and contract and data exchange standards.
Achievements Facilitates European-wide energy trading in open wholesale markets.
Expectations Continuing to aim for a single EU energy market.

EUROPEAN NETWORK OF TRANSMISSION SYSTEM OPERATORS FOR ELECTRICITY (ENTSO-E)
Remit Represents EU electric TSOs to ensure optimal supply and management of the network and allow cross-border trading and supply.
Achievements United the EU's six previous associations to provide a pan-European perspective.
Expectations To help implement the EC's Third Energy Package via increased TSO cooperation.

EUROPEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY COUNCIL
Remit To represent European renewables industry and research community, informing policy makers and providing forums.
Achievements Promoting renewables in the EU.
Expectations To help generate 35% of Europe's electricity by renewable energy sources by 2020.

EUROPEAN REGULATORS' GROUP FOR ELECTRICITY AND GAS (ERGEG)
Remit Formed by EC to advise on implementing measures for electricity and gas, made up of national energy regulators.
Achievements Gave significant input to Third Energy liberalisation legislative package, created seven electricity markets in Europe in preparation for one single market.
Expectations To help create a single, competitive EU energy market.

EUROPEAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION (EWEA)
Remit To lobby, inform, research and communicate on behalf of the EU wind industry.
Achievements Driving force behind growth of wind power in Europe since 1982, considered by many as the most important wind organisation in Europe.
Expectations To create a single EU energy market in which wind will be a leading technology by 2015.

EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM FOR WIND ENERGY (TPWIND)
Remit To identify areas in need of improvement in policy and research, and find cost reductions.
Achievements Helped the EC draw up its Strategic Energy Technology Plan to meet 2020 wind targets.
Expectations To encourage long-term, strategic action in technology and policy to help wind energy provide up to 28% of EU electricity by 2030.

GREENPEACE EUROPEAN UNIT
Remit To expose deficient EU policies and laws, and challenge decision-makers to implement progressive solutions.
Achievements Raises the issue of grids, and the public profile of wind.
Expectations To lobby the EU to cut carbon emissions and phase out coal and nuclear power entirely.

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL ENERGY CONSUMERS
Remit To monitor legislation on energy use on behalf of industrial energy users.
Achievements Exposed energy and industrial competitiveness link.
Expectations To aim for responsible energy use, competitive energy supply, consumer choice.

STOCKHOLM ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE
Remit To inform decision-making through scientific insight.
Achievements Recent report suggests scaling up wind power's share of generating capacity to reduce European emissions. Expectations Works towards cutting 80% greenhouse gases by 2050.