Wind power will be the main source of Europe’s electricity within 15 years, according to a new report released today.
The paper from the International Energy Agency (IEA), World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2017, says the prominence of wind energy is down to the falling costs of renewable technologies. And the IEA estimates the entire clean power industry will provide 80% of the continent’s new power generation ‘between now and 2040’.
Wind energy is leading the way – it attracted record-breaking levels of investment across the continent in 2016. And WindEurope CEO, Giles Dickson, is calling for governments to implement policy strategies that can maintain the momentum and capitalise on the opportunities of wind.
He said: “Wind energy is now firmly established as the cheapest form of new power generation. The World Energy Outlook shows wind is on track to become Europe’s leading electricity source soon after 2030.
“But to make this happen governments need to give long-term visibility on the policy and regulatory framework, notably via ambitious National Energy & Climate Action Plans that give clarity on post-2020 volumes and auctions.
“Wind farms get built because the wind industry makes big long-terms investments – in manufacturing facilities, skills development and R&D. We invest where we see forward stability in policy and regulation, and this helps us to keep reducing costs. With an ambitious European renewables target of at least 35% by 2030, the wind industry could deliver even bigger volumes at competitive cost.”
