On a visit to Saint-Nazaire on Thursday (May 2), Bruno Le Maire outlined the government's strategy for achieving 45 GW of offshore wind power while not leaving the European wind turbine industry.
Though EU countries remain divided about nuclear power, the insecurity brought on by the war in Ukraine has sparked increased interest from politicians not seen in decades. But are they willing to match big talk with big wallets?
The world should ensure diverse supply chains and implement a framework to track the progress made towards tripling global renewable capacity by 2030, the EU's Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (17 April).
Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta is set to present his report on the future of Europe’s single market to EU leaders on Thursday 18 April. A deepening of Europe’s Energy Union is a key priority, along with several targeted recommendations on how to transform Europe’s energy sector.
France should continue refusing to include renewable targets in its energy-climate plan, which is due to be submitted to the European Commission in June, the country's former Energy Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher said on Tuesday (26 March).
The election of a new government in Poland has enabled this Central European country to revive its ambitions in terms of energy transition and to meet European targets.
The EU's renewable energy targets adopted in March last year are too restrictive and unsatisfactory as climate goals, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, who took over the environment portfolio in a recent government reshuffle, said on Monday (4 March).
Europe's wind firms have faced a bleak period of supply chain setbacks, inflation and equipment problems - although Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas (VWS.CO) returned to profit in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Political momentum is swaying in favour of European solar panel manufacturers, as work progresses on a new EU law banning forced labour practices that would effectively block Chinese imports.
The EU's energy commissioner, Kadri Simson, has urged France to raise its renewable energy target to "at least 44%" by 2030, warning it would consider taking "steps" at EU level in case of persistent shortcomings.
The European Union needs to take into account its ambitious targets for solar power deployment before it considers any measures to curb imports of photovoltaic panels, wafers and other components, a senior EU official said on Monday (5 February).
European solar panel manufacturers have warned they are “poised to shut down manufacturing lines” unless the EU takes emergency measures to save the sector, such as a buy-out of their inventories, which have piled up in recent years due to an influx of cheaper versions from China.
Germany’s offshore wind energy targets are at risk amid lagging construction rates and grid connection delays, prompting industry calls for additional government support.
France is lagging behind its initial renewable energy targets for 2023, although it is set to pick up the pace by 2030, but not enough to meet EU targets, the latest figures from the French Renewable Energy Observatory published on Thursday (25 January) show.
Estonia plans to build a small modular reactor (SMR) to wean itself off the addiction to polluting oil shale and meet its target of producing 100% decarbonised electricity by 2030. A vote in Parliament is expected "in the first half of 2024," officials say.
France's draft energy sovereignty bill will not include any targets at all, at least for now, the office of French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has confirmed, responding to criticism about the bill's lack of consideration for renewables and over-emphasis on nuclear.
Meyer Burger, the biggest producer of solar modules in Germany, has announced plans to close down and relocate to the US, fuelling political debates on whether the industry deserves long-term state support to ensure its survival.
European Union countries built 17 gigawatts of new wind power farms in 2023, the most for any year so far, but still not enough to reach its renewable energy goal, industry data showed on Friday (12 January).
France's draft 'energy sovereignty' law, recently unveiled by the government, has caused quite a stir for its apparent dismissal of renewable energies, which are placed at the bottom of the list of low-carbon energies, behind nuclear.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is forecasting a 61% share for renewable electricity in Europe by 2028, partly due to an unprecedented surge of previously unforeseen solar panel installations.
In the space of just one month, the European Commission has approved more than €8 billion in French state aid to decarbonise industry and develop renewable energies, according to EU figures released this week.
France and Czechia reiterated calls on Tuesday (9 January) for the European Commission to put nuclear power on an equal footing with renewable energies in all EU policies, putting traditional nuclear sceptic countries on the defensive.
Germany’s power sector emissions dropped to their lowest level in 70 years in 2023 while moving past the 50% threshold for renewable electricity production for the first time. However, this is partly attributed to falling industrial production, casting doubt on the country's performance.
Austria generated 87% of its power from renewable sources in 2023 following record years of solar panel expansion, putting it behind Luxembourg in the EU rankings.
