EU warned on temptation to 'early count' energy savings http://www.energy-broker.co.uk/eu-warned-on-temptation-to-early-count-energy-savings/
Germany, Britain and the Netherlands appear to be including energy conservation measures already taken by them to meet targets under the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive EED, according to sources in the co-generation industry.The directive allows member states leeway in their choice of measures to reduce their energy consumption levels.But states such as the UK have already attempted to have efficiency measures taken before and after the legislation’s nominal 2014-2020 period counted towards its required annual 1.5% energy-savings obligation. A fear exists that this practice could spread to other areas of the directive.“The temptation for member states will be to include measures already taken as contributing to the total savings,” said Fiona Riddoch, director of COGEN Europe, the cogeneration industry association. “This kind of minimalist approach is particularly attractive at times of economic slowdown,” Riddoch said.“It has been reported to us informally that UK, Germany or the Netherlands for instance have started to tick the EED provisions’ boxes according to that approach,” she added.The suggestion that Germany could be early-counting its efficiency savings will raise eyebrows in London, as Berlin sent a complaint to Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger about the UK’s similar interpretation of the EED’s energy-savings obligation.By the end of this month, EU states must provide the European Commission with indicative national energy efficiency action plans to meet the bloc’s 2020 target of reducing energy consumption by 20% on 2005 levels, as measured against projected increases.No penalties are attached to failing to meet the target, but the plans will help the Commission to work out whether it is on track to meet it. And that could feed back into the debate on whether a binding energy savings goal is needed for 2030.
Germany, Britain and the Netherlands appear to be including energy conservation measures already taken by them to meet targets under the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive EED, according to sources in the co-generation industry.The directive allows member states leeway in their choice of measures to reduce their energy consumption levels.But states such as the UK have already attempted to have efficiency measures taken before and after the legislation’s nominal 2014-2020 period counted towards its required annual 1.5% energy-savings obligation. A fear exists that this practice could spread to other areas of the directive.“The temptation for member states will be to include measures already taken as contributing to the total savings,” said Fiona Riddoch, director of COGEN Europe, the cogeneration industry association. “This kind of minimalist approach is particularly attractive at times of economic slowdown,” Riddoch said.“It has been reported to us informally that UK, Germany or the Netherlands for instance have started to tick the EED provisions’ boxes according to that approach,” she added.The suggestion that Germany could be early-counting its efficiency savings will raise eyebrows in London, as Berlin sent a complaint to Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger about the UK’s similar interpretation of the EED’s energy-savings obligation.By the end of this month, EU states must provide the European Commission with indicative national energy efficiency action plans to meet the bloc’s 2020 target of reducing energy consumption by 20% on 2005 levels, as measured against projected increases.No penalties are attached to failing to meet the target, but the plans will help the Commission to work out whether it is on track to meet it. And that could feed back into the debate on whether a binding energy savings goal is needed for 2030.
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