Ministers of Energy from EU Support Faster Approvals for Renewable Energy Sources
EU energy ministers have agreed on new regulatory measures to allow for speedier renewable energy deployment.
According to WindEurope, the agreement struck on the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) paves the way for faster wind farm permitting.
It has been decided that the RED should now contain additional measures to strengthen the EU's energy security, as outlined in the REPowerEU Action Plan.
Energy ministers in the EU will now finalise the measures in autumn negotiations with the European Parliament.
In their revisions to the RED, EU Energy Ministers added major parts of the REPowerEU Action Plan, the EU's energy response to the situation in Ukraine.
According to WindEurope, given the ongoing conflict, ministers emphasised the need to speed up the deployment of domestic renewables to boost the EU's energy security.
They agreed that the expansion of renewables and the associated construction of on-and offshore grid infrastructure should be viewed as an issue of "overarching public interest" and "public safety" throughout Europe.
To ensure the necessary build-out of renewables, EU Energy Ministers agreed on specific timetables for new project permitting and streamlined repowering project permitting.
Only the environmental impacts besides existing turbines will be subject to environmental impact studies for repowering.
To ensure that wind energy growth and biodiversity protection work hand in hand, the European Council is now encouraging a population-based approach to biodiversity that will help preserve and improve the health of endangered bird populations.
Members are now prepared to begin discussions with the European Parliament on the updated RED.
The European Parliament will vote on its position on the Directive in its Industry and Energy Committee on July 13th, ahead of final discussions in the autumn.
Source: reNEWS.BIZ
