Activities of Jeppe KOFOD related to 2015/2108(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Towards a European Energy Union - Making Europe's electricity grid fit for 2020 (debate) DA
Towards a European Energy Union - Making Europe's electricity grid fit for 2020 (debate)
Amendments (14)
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that, according to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), investments in the necessary interconnection projects of pan-European significance could be as high as EUR 150 billion by 2030, and, according to an IEA study, there is a need for EUR 480 billion for investments in smartening the distribution network, however notes with interest that for each euro invested in the network, electricity prices could be mitigated by EUR 2; notes that independent studies show that with similar investment in the network infrastructure, and these investments would allow Europe couldto cover a large share of its electric load with renewable energy sources1 ; __________________ 1 ‘powE[R] 2030 – A European grid for ¾ renewable electricity by 2030’, Greenpeace, 2014.
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Given that over EUR 1 trillion needs to be invested in the EU energy sector by 2020 alone, and knowing that for every euro not invested in the energy infrastructure before 2020, 4.3 euro would be needed after 2020 to achieve the same goals, it is time to intensify our measures for transforming our energy infrastructure into a smart, well connected, efficient and secure grid, ready to fully grasp and share the advantages of sustainable energy production, meanwhile avoiding shifting the burdens on to the future generations;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that our energy landscape is becoming ever more decentralized given the further deployment of renewable generation; therefore notes the importance of a well-designed smart grid at local level and the increasing and crucial role of DSO's as market facilitators; stresses in this respect that, when trying to solve a bottle neck in the grid, a thorough assessment is needed to define which action or combination of actions is most optimal given the specific situation: building new transmission lines, developing local smart grids, or integrating efficiency and flexibility in the system through demand response management or storage;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. When trying to solve bottle necks in the grid, attention should also be given to energy efficiency measures; it should be assessed whether the goals in terms of security of supply cannot be reached in a more sustainable and cost-effective way by reducing energy demand, raising energy efficiency or applying demand side management; this to ensure that energy efficiency projects are competing on equal terms with infrastructural projects developing costly new transmission lines or interconnections;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the role of the Commission as guardian of a decentralised and accessible electricity system, in which Member States shall grant access to smallernew and decentralized generators and suppliers to the grid in accordance with fair market rules;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Recalls that PCIs are evaluated by Regional Groups, set-up by the Commission and comprising of representatives from the Member States, NRAs and the electricity transmission system operators and project promoters, ENTSO-E, ACER, the European Commission and other key stakeholders;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Calls on the Commission to explain better the ranking process for the PCIs; recalls that in order to be considered, PCIs should be included in the ENTSO- E's ten year network development plans (TYNDPs) but that the final decision for funding lies with the Commission based on its own assessment criteria for selection of projects; asks the Commission to explicitly account for these criteria;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that projects on the PCI list benefit from preferential regulatory treatment, fast-track planning, a binding time limit of 3.5 years for the granting of a permit and faster environmental assessment procedures, and may also be eligible for extra funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), asks the Commission to make an assessment on how this fast-track planning is implemented and complied with in all Member States;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the understaffing and lack of resources of ACER; asks the EU budgetary authority to provide the agency with the necessary resources, in particular sufficient own staff, in order to allow the agency to fulfil the tasks assigned to it by legislation; calls for ACER's role to be strengthened, in particular in relation to ENTSO-E and with regards to reinforcing coordination of NRAs, arbitrating between NRAs and coordinating cross-border regulatory matters;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Notes the Commission's intentions of expanding the mandate, purview and powers of ACER and it's reflections on what this might entail within its recent communication 'Delivering a New Deal for Energy Consumers'; calls on the Commission to come forward with concrete suggestions in this regard, to further the realisation of a true Internal Energy Market; notes that any new responsibilities should be followed by additional resources for ACER;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Supports the Commission's recommendation that the CEF be concentrated on a few key projects; considers that adequate EU financing should also be made available beyond 2020 to support the implementation of non- commercial electricity connection projects necessary to ensure the functioning of the internal energy market; stresses the importance of the EIB in supporting investors in commercially viable electricity infrastructure projects; notes the establishment of the European Fund for Strategic Investments and encourages the Commission to ensure that the fund effectively attracts investments in crucial electricity interconnection projectsand DSO smart grid projects, if they cannot be funded through other existing channels already available at EU or Member State level;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Commission, furthermore, to: 1) encourage investments in the best available technology, which, while costlierin some situations perhaps costlier in the short run, offers considerable financial advantages as well as time savings and technology leadership advantages in the long run; 2) conduct a review of the financing rules with the aim of streamlining the existing mechanisms and highlighting the principle that wealthier Member States are responsible for projects involving their countries, while EU financial support should be used in countries facing greater challenges; and 3) strengthen incentives for further investments in the grid by, inter alia, introducing a requirement for profits made from transmission congestion rent to be reinvested in additional interconnectors;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges that offshore wind in the North Seas region has the potential to generate over 8 % of Europe's power supply by 2030; notes further that coordination of the planning and building of a regional offshore grid infrastructure, market access and reserve sharing in the North Seas region could lead to cost savings of EUR 5-13 billion per year by 2030 through a better integrated regional market; calls on the European Commission and the relevant member states to endorse these potentials when developing the 2030 governance structure and the subsequent national and regional plans for competitive, secure and sustainable energy; calls on the Commission and the Member States for strong political support and endorsement of the North Seas Offshore Grid as a key step in building an effective Energy Union; urges the upcoming Presidencies of the Council of the EU to prepare and agree on a legal framework during the 2016 Dutch Presidency in the form of an Intergovernmental Agreement between the relevant Member States that defines a shared North Seas electricity strategy;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Notes that Europe's energy system has evolved since 2002, when the 10 % electricity interconnection target was originally set – in particular, renewable energy sources have been developed across the continent; questions in this context a 15 % target based on installed capacity for 2030; asks the Commission, therefore, to assess the setting of regional, complementary targets and to find better qualitative and quantitative benchmarks, such as peak flows and bottlenecks and cross border disparities in load factors and production capacity and renewable production potential, that highlight how much interconnection is needed;