EU, Calif. Set Sights on New Renewables

January 7, 2007 – Vol.11 No.42

EUROPEAN UNION, CALIFORNIA SET SIGHTS ON MORE RENEWABLES.

The European Commission urged member nations this week to agree to policies that would create a postindustrial revolution: A green revolution, that is.

In the plan - Energy Policy for Europe - the EU would slash its greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020. To do so, 20 percent of power would come from renewables by 2020, energy efficiency would increase by 20 percent by then and 10 percent of motor fuels would be bio-based. The Commission also wants to make sure all new power plants are carbon neutral in 17 years.

Together the targets would create new industries, jobs and business opportunities that would lead to even greater emission cuts elsewhere in the developed world.

The plan isn’t industry-sector specific, as trade groups in the EU noted. Trade groups there would like to see more guidance as to how their respective industry members should move forward.

(A guess is that this will come later.)

The Commission hopes that by this initiative the EU can make its contribution to limiting the global increase in temperature to under 4 degrees F (2 C). A second goal of the plan is to reduce the EU’s dependence on imported fuels, now about 50 percent.

Yet the policy plan is only part of the Commission’s plan for carbon emissions. The Commission also wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars to just 120 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, or in US terms, about 2.6 ounces per mile. That’s a tough goal for makers of larger cars.

Cars in Europe would have to become even more efficient than they are now. They’ll need to start thinking about battery electrics and biofueled plug-in hybrids, just as the US is.

Half a globe away California is also planning new action to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to issue an Executive Order establishing a new Low Carbon Fuel Standard for a 10-percent reduction in carbon content for transportation fuels sold in the state. The order would include adding more electric and ethanol powered vehicles to the state's fleet.

The electric vehicle provision would be good news for Phoenix Motorcars which is already marketing all-electric SUVs and trucks there.