Governments must rethink renewable support schemes

Governments must rethink renewable support schemes: AIB

Brussels (Platts)--16Nov2004


Renewable energies need market-based support solutions if they are to survive
long term, an industry organisation promoting the use of 'green' certificates
said Tuesday. Walter Boltz of the Association of Issuing Bodies told a
Eurelectric seminar in Brussels that "if we shelter new technologies too much
from competitive pressure, they will not survive in the long run." The AIB
represents a group of grid operators and regulators which act as auditors for
guarantee of origin certificates for renewable power. The aim is to develop a
pan-European trade in the 'green' attributes of renewable power, which can
then be counted toward national targets for increasing the share of renewable
power in the energy mix. AIB wants to see a shift from production targets,
supported by feed-in tariffs, to consumption targets met by trading guarantee
of origin certificates. "Feed-in tariffs were a good way to kick-start the
market at any cost," said Boltz. "But we have moved beyond that now, and we
need a more market-based approach."

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