European energy at crucial stage - report

Friday 29 April 2005


A new report from Greenpeace has urged Europe’s leading energy companies to increase their backing of renewable technology, as the current infrastructure of fossil fuel plants nears the end of its lifecycle. ‘Whose power is it anyway?’ reveals that the ten leading power companies in the EU are responsible for 60% of the overall emissions from the energy sector and 90% of the nuclear waste.

"Because more than half of Europe's working coal power plants are over twenty years old, the next ten years are crucial. The power sector will decide how the new energy capacity will be built, whether Europe's power supply will be dirty fossil fuels and unsafe nuclear energy, or efficient and clean renewable energy. This is a great opportunity for Europe to shift to renewables," explained Sven Teske, Greenpeace International's energy expert.

The European Commission predicts that under the current scenario, the EU could be forced to import 70% of its total energy and 90% of its oil in the next two decades, with no guarantees of future supply.

"Every euro invested in clean energy is a step away from dependency on imported fuels, world market prices and climate disruption. Renewable energy is the best way to meet needs for clean electricity," added Teske.

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