President Obama has laid out a Blueprint for an energy strategy which relies on “American-made energy and the skills of American workers”.

COMMITTING TO CLEAN ENERGY

Implementing a clean energy standard: The centerpiece of President Obama’s plan to develop and use more clean energy calls for establishing a “clean energy standard,” which would require utility companies to produce a larger percentage of their electricity from clean energy sources over time –including renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass, hydropower, and nuclear, among others. With this requirement in place, clean sources would account for 80 percent of our electricity by 2035. Besides reducing carbon emissions, implementing a standard would create a larger domestic market for developing new, innovative energy technologies—and the many jobs that would come along with it.

Targeted tax incentives: To further support a growing clean energy industry, President Obama’s Blueprint calls for renewing and extending a number of already successful tax incentives. This includes tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing, which could create up to 100,000 jobs, and the Production Tax Credit to support investment in the deployment of clean energy technologies.

Opening public lands: Developing the new technologies we need is only one part of the clean energy equation. The other part requires putting the new technologies to use. To answer this call, the Department of the Interior has committed to issuing permits on public lands that will enable the generation of 10 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity – enough to power 3 million homes.

Powering the U.S. military with renewable energy: Just because Congress hasn’t moved forward with establishing a clean energy economy doesn’t prevent all progress toward using more renewable energy. To this end, President Obama announced that the Department of the Navy will make a 1 gigawatt renewable energy purchase—the largest purchase of its kind in history, and enough energy to power 250,000 homes.

Additionally, the Air Force is installing solar panels on its bases and developing cleaner, more efficient ways to fuel the military’s aircraft. In 2010, the Air Force flew an A-10 Thunderbolt entirely on alternative fuels, a first for the military.

January 10th 2012 the call was officially opened for proposals until 13 APRIL 2012. The Public Information day is scheduled for 31 January in Brussels. For more information on the event and the TEN-T Call see: TEN-T Webpage

The call can serve as a good basis for proposal for deployment of hydrogen infrastructure projects. The text for the call for proposals may be found via: TEN-T call 2011

The Report explains, Transitions in fuel supply infrastructure and vehicles will be needed for all new transport fuels. These transitions may need to be encouraged or mandated throughout all EU Member States and coordinated at the EU level in order to drive the market forward.

Assuming a reduction of at least 60% of GHGs by 2050 with respect to 1990 in the transport sector, improvements in the energy efficiency of transport operations and vehicles will provide a period of several years to evaluate and develop the technologies for alternative fuel systems that will require major transitions in infrastructure and vehicle design. A timely decision on these major transitions can therefore be taken to ensure a long-term cost-effective and sustainable solution that is commensurate with adequate industrial lead-time.

In view of the scope of change required for a low carbon transport system, it would be recommendable to analyse the current regulatory framework and to identify the gaps and level of policy support required to enable this change, particularly with regard to infrastructure for alternative fuels.

There is a current lack of an EU-wide harmonised alternative fuel infrastructure due to differing levels of development in the Member States. Such fragmented development leads to high costs, hampers consumer acceptance, and prevents the economies of scale which the Single Market could provide. A specific strategy on alternative fuel infrastructure at EU level will be necessary for the short and medium term.

Member States have promoted different alternative fuel infrastructures, because they have opted for different priorities in their fuel choices with regard to the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive and to the allocation of state support. But there is a clear lack of harmonized EU standards within the various types of alternative fuel refuelling equipment and storage systems.

During the last decade, policy actions have mostly addressed fuel and vehicle developments, neglecting an appropriate alternative fuel infrastructure build-up. Funding to build up alternative fuel infrastructure has also been insufficient. The initial costs for market-deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure are generally higher than for petroleum-based fuels due to i.a. the lack of initial economies of scale. Fuel suppliers (i.e. private spending) are investing in alternative fuels even if the revenue from fuel sold is not sufficient to pay back infrastructure and logistics costs.

The recently adopted White Paper ”Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area – Towards a Competitive and Resource Efficient Transport System” announces that the Commission will develop “a sustainable alternative fuels strategy including also the appropriate infrastructure”  and ensure “guidelines and standards for refuelling infrastructures”.

See link for Report: FTF Infrastructure

Source: DG MOVE

Running until 2013, the programme is open to all EU Member States, plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. A budget of € 730 million is available to fund projects and put into place a range of European portals, facilities and initiatives.

The new IEE call for project proposals is now open. In 2012, there will be € 67 million available for funding. Do not miss the opportunity to submit your ideas for projects in areas such as energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, clean transport and local energy investments!

The call closes on 8 May 2012 for all types of actions except the Build Up Skills initiative which has different deadlines.

The IEE Info Day on the Call for Proposals will be held on January 24th 2012 in Brussels for more information on the event see: European Info Day 2012

Find out more on: IEE How to Get Funds

You may also contact the “Intelligent Energy – Europe” helpdesk

The report, which covers the group’s consensus on a number of selected topics discussed so far. Some may be further elaborated and further topics will be added in the rest of the CARS 21 process, leading to the adoption of the Final Report. The texts calls for  ”preparing the launch of a specific major initiative on breakthrough technologies (including, among others, electrification of combustion engines, hybrid and electric vehicles, fuel cells, electrical and electronic systems), taking into account the possible development of the European Innovation Partnerships on Smart Mobility and Smart cities and other relevant initiatives.”

As part of the Commission’s modern industrial policy, the CARS 21 (Competitive Automotive Regulatory System for the 21st century) process, which was initially launched in 2005, aims to make recommendations for the short-, medium-, and long-term public policy and regulatory framework of the European automotive industry. This framework enhances global competitiveness and employment, while sustaining further progress in safety and environmental performance at a price affordable to the consumer.

To Read the Report See: CARS 21 Interim Report

The 2012 annual work programme for grants in the field of trans-European networks (TEN) – area of energy infrastructures (TEN-E) – will encourage the effective operation and development of the internal market, reinforce the security of supplies and the diversification of energy suppliers and routes, facilitate the development and reducing the isolation of less-favoured regions, contribute to sustainable development and protection of the environment, inter alia by involving renewable energies.

The indicative EU budget allocation available for this programme is EUR 21,129.600 million

Particular attention is given to projects of European interest that contribute to:

(a) The development of the network to strengthen economic and social cohesion by reducing the isolation of the less-favoured and island regions of the Union;
(b) The optimisation of the capacity of the network and the integration of the internal energy market, in particular concerning cross-border section;
(c) The security of energy supply, diversification of sources of energy supplies and, in particular, interconnections with third countries;
(d) The connection of renewable energy resources; and
(e) The safety, reliability and interoperability of interconnected networks

For more information see: TEN-E, TEN-E Call for Proposals

The purpose of the conference is to identify common ground and share new perspectives on:

• How to seize the geostrategic and growth opportunities of the transition to a low carbon energy system, while avoiding pitfalls on the way
• The concrete EU energy policies that should be developed to move towards 2030, specifically in the fields of energy efficiency, energy infrastructure, market design and investment incentives to promote specific energy technology paths, for example with a high share of renewables
• The immediate and next steps for the EU – including the assessment of potential benefits of milestones for energy in 2030

The report explains, ”there is an acute need to take action in towns, as the population in conurbations is increasing, which will lead to increasing traffic, noise and air pollution. For this reason, mobility plans will also have to provide for increased infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and lead to the doubling of the number of public transport users. Bus and tram transport in particular can significantly contribute to efficient co-modality in urban, suburban and regional transport, provided that the requisite infrastructure is adapted or made available.”

See: Report

Poland, which currently holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, presented a progress report on the draft energy efficiency directive at a meeting of the Energy Council this month.

The report included amendments pushed by member states requiring more “flexibility” in achieving the proposed targets.

Most EU member states “are not convinced of the approach and request flexibility to design schemes best suited for their circumstances,” the Polish presidency said, after holding consultations with all national delegations.

Member states were invited to present their positions but no extensive discussion was held at the meeting as views remain far apart. “If there will be a discussion, then it will be at a political level,” Polish presidency sources told EurActiv.

Moves towards a political compromise are expected to start only as of 2012. “We expect the talks with the European Parliament to start during the Danish presidency,” a Polish presidency source said.

The progress report centred around the three targets contained in the draft energy efficiency directive:

• A national obligation for energy companies to reduce consumption among “final consumers” by 1.5% annually;
• A 3% refurbishment target for public buildings;
• Setting up a “national heating and cooling plan” to promote heat and power co-generation as well as renewable energy in heating and cooling.

The first target is considered by experts as the one which “can really make member states take concrete action”.

Dutch reject binding target for energy companies

The flexibility changes sought by member states include replacing the cut-off 1.5% annual savings target with a gradual increase in objectives as well as the possibility to extend the time-period at national level in order to adjust to local circumstances.

But it was also abundantly clear that most do not want “a binding sectoral target,” EurActiv was told. “It is a complex issue, in which all member states have a high interest,” an EU source said.

Germany, backed by The Netherlands, is hostile to the directive’s flagship 1.5% savings target for energy companies. The Hague even proposed a deletion of this particular article, it emerged earlier this month.

Meanwhile, other countries such as Italy, France and Denmark, which already have supplier-side obligations, support the proposed scheme if some changes are introduced.

Pascal Dupuis, head of the climate and energy efficiency department at the French Ministry of Ecology, said France supports the idea “99%”. Speaking at a conference organised earlier this month by EurActiv France, Dupuis claimed the directive includes good ideas but says it is “too prescriptive at times”.

Source: Euractiv

The conference will allow Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, Ministers, Members of the European Parliament and stakeholders to discuss and start preparing for the new TEN-T framework and instruments proposed by the Commission in October 2011 in the TEN-T Guidelines and the Connecting Europe Facility Regulations. Commissioner Siim Kallas will be present to launch the event and present a few words on the TEN-T program and the Connecting Europe Facility.  Each following session will be moderated by key European Commission Officials titled “Planning, regulating, funding: a policy framework for European infrastructure policy”, “Implementing the core network:the core network corridors”, and “Transport: a growth engine for Europe”.

They will discuss how the new planning framework and the increase of robust implementation tools will ensure that common efforts to focus  on infrastructure will be of the highest EU ‘added value’. They will also examine how the new financial instruments can be mobilised more effectively as part of a consistent strategy that pulls together EU and national, public and private funding and financing.

Parallel workshops will take place throughout both days with different topical focus. Sven Wolf, HyER Board member will be present and take part as speaker within the Innovation and new Technologies for TEN-T (workshop 4).

More information on event if found via: TEN-T Days 2011 Antwerp