nuclear undone
  • blog
  • about
  • contact

undo your thinking

listen to the facts

absorb new ideas

EU Energy Union

3/18/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Lenka Kollar

Last month the European Commission announced their plan to integrate all 28 national energy markets of the EU, with the main goal of independence from energy imports (i.e. gas from Russia). The current fragmented system will be transformed into an "Energy Union" where gas and electricity are freely transported within Europe.

The EU as a whole is the largest importer of natural gas in the world and many member states are 100% dependent on Russia for gas. To alleviate this dependence, the EU plans to build a new “southern corridor” that will pump gas from the Caspian basin to Europe via Turkey.

An EU-wide regulatory framework will also call for a unified energy policy, which may prove to be a challenge. Will Germany and Austria be able to agree on a policy that includes nuclear energy? How will renewables be leveraged in a larger, more complicated market? The EU's target is to have nearly a third of electricity from clean energy by 2030. 

Each of the member states has different resources and different costs for producing electricity. A unified grid and gas network might mean that energy prices are reduced in some states at the expense of consumers in others. Formulating an energy strategy, taking into account all of the European stakeholders, will be complicated and likely involve intense negotiations between states. 

However, the benefits for an energy union are apparent: reduced dependence on gas imports, more options for consumers, and investment into a smarter grid to increase energy efficiency. And, maybe Germany will even reverse their nuclear energy phaseout mandate? 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    American Nuclear Society
    Climate Change
    Diversity In Stem
    Energy
    Environmentalists
    Fuel Cycle
    I'm A Nuke
    International
    IYNC
    Navy
    Nonproliferation
    Nuclear Energy
    Nuclear Energy
    Nuclear Engineers
    Nuclear Technology
    Policy
    Radiation
    Reactors
    Science Education
    Sustainability
    UAE
    Women In Engineering

    RSS Feed


    Follow on Bloglovin
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos from Idaho National Laboratory, Jim.Richmond, Idaho National Laboratory, IAEA Imagebank