Comments on: EU Exceeds Target for 20% Renewable Energy by 2020

By: Andrew Fynn

Andrew Fynn — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:47:00 +0000

Good article. Though its better not to call any nation a puppet or former puppet state. It is at best disempowering, if not insulting.

By: Romania Home to Large, New Wind Energy Hub – EcoLocalizer

Romania Home to Large, New Wind Energy Hub – EcoLocalizer — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:59:02 +0000

[…] MW more installed in Romania by the end of 2011. The country is currently expected to get about 24% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 and its renewable-energy-friendly policies are part of what has attracted […]

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 02:32:27 +0000

Fascinating info, thanks for the gory detail.

By: Jan

Jan — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:10:25 +0000

Hi, I am from Slovakia EU. The truth behind eastern EU post-communist countries’ CO2 reductions is that the soviet-style heavy industry went quickly bankrupt right after the regimes fall in 1989. The industries were heavy polluters. In couple of years all kinds of emissions went down huge percents. In the end of the 90s we already met the 20% goal I guess. So, it’s not so much a result of recent policies. Just the opposite, we are under cap and trade now. Our country exceeded the reductions (see above) and we got basically free credits from the EU hq. Our corrupted socialist government (previous term) did sell those credits half price to a garage based company in Michigan. Who then sold it to Japanese twice the price bribing back the socialists a huge amounts of money. Nobody was punished. Yet.

By: Europe Exceeds Clean Energy Goals; U.S. Falls Behind | Total Solar Panels

Europe Exceeds Clean Energy Goals; U.S. Falls Behind | Total Solar Panels — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:20:16 +0000

[…] in Washington, D.C. itself), the European Union has quietly, and without a lot of fanfare, not only met but exceeded some of its most demanding renewable energy […]

By: Rif

Rif — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:41:34 +0000

@Susan Kraemer
“I feel hydro should be counted as a renewable, at least for regions that will have plenty”

Certainly hydro is renewable energy. Hydro is powerful but there is never enough water to run at full generating capacity all the time. Typically hydro power plants have capacity factor 20-60%. That means the greatest value of hydro power plants are to use them as operating reserve power plant, in the mix with solar and wind farms.

By: Rif

Rif — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:28:10 +0000

Ups, the Cleantechnica comment system ate the square brackets, so the link is invalid.

Oh well, on the EWEA front page click on article:
2011-01-04 EU will exceed renewable energy goal of 20 percent by 2020

http://ewea.org/

By: Rif

Rif — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:22:08 +0000

@Susan Kraemer
Renewable Energy Focus is a bit vague about the 20% target in their article. If you go directly to the source EWEA, the statement is clear: EU will exceed renewable energy goal of 20 percent by 2020.

http://ewea.org/index.php?id=60&tx_ttnewstt_news=1892

By: EU may exceed 2020 renewable energy target – IBTimes | KeepGoingGreen.com

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:50:37 +0000

[…] CleanTechnica […]

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:12:48 +0000

Thanks for the local insight, Gregory. My sympathies. Is there anything more frustrating?

By: EU Exceeds Target for 20% Renewable Energy by 2020 – CleanTechnica | Shop Electricity Rates

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:07:38 +0000

[…] here to see the original: EU Exceeds Target for 20% Renewable Energy by 2020 – CleanTechnica […]

By: Gregory Norminton

Gregory Norminton — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 11:40:38 +0000

Alas, the Czechs are lagging behind due to politics (just like the US) rather than infrastructure difficulties. The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, is a right-wing climate change denier, and the legislative body is now dominated by similar ideologues who recently eviscerated the (previously succesful) feed-in tariff for domestic solar. The point is that our transition to a low carbon economy is largely dependent on political will. Where it is lacking – and antiscientific ideology triumphs – our already slim chances diminish. In short, though we wish it were otherwise, climate change remains a political issue.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:25:24 +0000

Good catch. you are right: because of lots of hydro too. I feel hydro should be counted as a renewable, at least for regions that will have plenty, even as the planet warms, and Washington State will, like the whole Northwest.

By: Chris V

Chris V — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:18:01 +0000

Washington state generates the most renewable energy in the country. According to the data below, that’s 43.9% of its power.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/states/sep_sum/plain_html/sum_btu_1.html

By: Chris V

Chris V — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:57:15 +0000

Washington state already gets over 75% of its energy from hydro, which is a renewable energy source.