Future Power Generation Options in the EU: A Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy Mix

Workshop : 17.30-19.00

The workshop, chaired by Jerzy Buzek, MEP, in a lively fashion, looked into Analysis & Future Prospects of power generation. Following an introduction on the Role of Electricity project by EURELECTRIC Secretary-General Paul Bulteel, Mr. Mike Farley of EPPSA and Mr. Udo Kremer of EUnited Turbines talked on fossil fuels, Mr. Mark Johnson of British Energy outlined his views on nuclear, and Ms. Isabel Blanco on behalf of EREC laid out global prospects for renewable energies. In the second session, Mr. Krzysztof Zmijewski of the University of Warsaw and Mr. Taisto Turunen of the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry outlined the energy mix of their countries.

Dinner-debate : 19.30 for 20.00

Speaker: Mrs Eluned Morgan, MEP, rapporteur on the Green Paper

At the dinner debate, participants were welcomed by Giles Chichester, MEP, president of the EEF.

Eluned Morgan, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for the Green Paper on a European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy, reckoned that energy policy might be a test case for re-connecting the EU to citizens, placing her focus on poor and vulnerable customers and climate change.

Energy market “needs massive adjustment”, she stated categorically, as it “is not working”. DG TREN head of unit Energy policy & security of supply Jean-Arnold Vinois revealed that the Strategic Energy Review expected in January would be a short and punchy paper mainly building on the need to decrease CO2 emissions and to increase energy efficiency.

A representative from the European Commission warned against treating nuclear energy as a special case. Although public perception does not always reflect factual knowledge, he believed, public acceptance of nuclear energy is not as bad as believed by many. He also pointed to the potential public acceptance challenge for carbon capture and storage and advised to avoid ending up with similar problems than nuclear energy faces today with disposal of radioactive waste.