Big energy research increase vital for Europe´s future

The European Commission's Communication on "Low Carbon Financing" proposes a big and essential increase in funds for energy research.

"The €6 million proposed for wind energy research represents unbeatable value for money" said Christian Kjaer, CEO of the European Wind Energy Association. "No other technology offers such a big return in electricity generation and greenhouse gas reduction for such a small investment."

Less than 12% of the proposed new energy research budget allocated to specific generation technologies will go to wind and 25% to coal.

"The sum invested in wind is small compared to the amount given to coal carbon capture and storage" added Kjaer. "But the wind energy industry acknowledges the very significant and important increase in wind energy research funds, especially compared to the 1% of EU energy research funds historically allocated to wind until 2002.

"Despite the small investments in research it is wind that will deliver the vast bulk of Europe's renewable, clean energy, as it has done up to now."