Energy road map 2050: results of the public consultation

Last week, the European Commission published the results of its public consultation on the "EU energy roadmap 2050".

Among the nearly 400 contributions, roughly half of the respondents believe that energy efficiency is among the three most important issues needing more development at the EU level.

But by reading the summarised answers, Energy Cities wonders whether an EU decarbonisation strategy of the energy sector will bring us closer to a more decentralised energy future. Will the strategy be based on the harnessing of energy savings and the potential of local resources thus giving a greater role to local authorities? The consultation clearly reveals that priority is given to energy efficiency and renewable sources.

Good news from the consultation: Over the next decades, the respondent organisations consider an "increased scope for decentralised power generation and for local, integrated solutions" to be the second most likely societal challenge and opportunity in Europe.

The aim of this Roadmap which is to be adopted by the end of 2011, is to present the various possible paths for achieving the objectives set by the EU energy policy: sustainability, energy security and competitiveness.

See the detailed results of the public consultation

However, from Energy Cities’ point of view, this “2050” exercise must not make us forget the fact that no major innovation is likely to come from the supply-side in the near future. Several technical and currently in vogue solutions could well be illusions. A change in direction, however, is urgently needed. Innovation is mainly to be found on the demand-side and based on decentralised systems.

A city emitting 80-95% less CO2 will not be the same city as it is today. Its organisation, transportation modes and the way people live, use energy, produce and have fun will be very different. Innovations, and not just technological ones, will have to be stimulated so as to ensure energy security.



An article on the Energy Roadmap 2050 has been published in the latest Energy Cities INFO magazine. Read this and related articles on-line.



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