Is the UK Leading Europe? UK Offshore Wind March 2003 London Christian Kjær Policy Director European Wind Energy Association (EWEA)
Is the UK leading Europe? ?
Alternative title: While we are waiting!
Evidence Installed during ,247 MW 87 MW
Evidence II 87 MW106 MW - DECOMMISSIONED! 500 MW installed during ,880 MW total installed capacity
Words Don’t Make a Wind Farm
Will the UK lead Europe? … but they are a powerful first step Words don’t make a wind farm… … and British rhetoric is leading Europe … and words do have substantial effects
Words of Power I “As we move to a new, low carbon economy, there are major opportunities for our businesses to become world leaders in the technologies we will need for the future – such as fuel cells, offshore wind and tidal power.” Tony Blair
Words of Power II “As the most commercially viable renewable power source, it is vital that we harness the energy of the wind both on and offshore now.” Brian Wilson
Words of Power III “The benefits of offshore wind are not just environmental; it also presents British industry with a number of opportunities for job creation and investment in manufacturing and construction, especially given the many years of experience gained from the oil and gas activity in the North Sea.” Brian Wilson
Design Matters
NFFO – Bad Design Lack of Planning Procedure No Penalties for Non-compliance No Deadlines
ROCs Added 21 MW in UK in 2003 Reduce political risks Don’t touch the targets Deadlines and penalties Secure adequate sites through planning Develop infrastructure Grid codes that reflect the technology
“Be great in act, as you have been in thought” William Shakespeare Rule Britannia?
European Challenges Economic growth Employment Technology development Exports Environment Sustainable development Kyoto: -8% CO2 Power demand up 1.6% p.a. 2002: EU Energy import: 50% 2025: EU Energy import: 70% Few indigenous resources
EU Energy Imports 2001: 50 % 2025: 70 %
EU-Commission’s Green Paper on the Future European Energy Supply: “Effectively, the only way of influencing [European energy] supply is to make serious efforts with renewable sources.”
To Trade the Untradable ☺ ♫ §
Harmonize First – Trade Later ♫
Price of CO 2 allowance ≠ Enironmental Cost of Electricity Production Emissions Trading
Pollution at a discount External costs of fossil fuel, nuclear and wind power generation FuelExternal cost / kWh Nuclear cents / kWh Gas1 - 4 cents / kWh Coal2 – 15 cents / kWh Wind power cents / kWh Source: EU Commission, July 2001, ExternE Price of emitting CO2 ( € 5/ton) 0.21 Eurocent/kWh 0.41 Eurocent/kWh
“He not busy being born is busy dying” Bob Dylan
Turning Wind into ROCs