European Parliament demands quicker deployment of offshore renewable energy

(EurActiv, 18 Feb 2022) Scaling up offshore renewable energy capacity is essential to reach Europe’s climate goals, but permits for new sites need to be approved quicker, according to the European Parliament.

On Wednesday (16 February), lawmakers approved the Parliament’s response to the European Commission’s offshore renewable energy strategy. Their report called for the quick deployment of offshore renewable energy and time limits for authorities approving permits.

“Offshore wind is the key to reaching our climate objectives. If we are to have a chance to live up to our climate targets, we need more renewable energy, much more in fact,” said the lead lawmaker for the topic, Morten Petersen.

“[Permitting] takes too long at the moment. If we do not do it in a different and much faster way, we will not reach our targets,” added the Danish lawmaker.

Europe has enormous potential for offshore renewable energy production, with the European Commission aiming for 60 gigawatts by 2030 and 300 gigawatts by 2050.

To reach these targets, EU countries need to expand and improve their energy infrastructure to cope with the increased amount of renewable energy. There also needs to be a well-functioning internal market for electricity, said Petersen.

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EurActiv, 18 Feb 2022: European Parliament demands quicker deployment of offshore renewable energy