Utilities strive for 2050 carbon neutrality
Europe's electricity utilities have committed to "strive" to achieve a carbon-neutral power supply by 2050. To do this they will need to make use of all available low-carbon sources including renewables, nuclear, combined heat and power and "clean" fossil fuel technologies using carbon capture and storage (CCS), they say in a joint declaration. They stress the need for increased European support for research and development into CCS. The CEO's of 60 energy companies operating in the 27 EU states handed the declaration to EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs. They call on EU and national governments to develop a market-based approach to greenhouse gas mitigation and to provide market-compatible rules to integrate electricity from renewables into the European electricity market. Lars G. Josefsson of utilities umbrella group Eurelectric adds: "I and my fellow CEOs have reiterated our belief that a competitive functioning market is the best means to deliver on this goal in a cost-effective manner while also ensuring the basic imperative of supply security -- that is, keeping the lights on and delivering reliable power to citizens and industry."