Green group attacks energy saving plan

Date: 30/07/1998

By Chris Johnstone

THE European Commission should abandon its attempt to negotiate an energy-efficiency package with electricity producers and opt for legislation, claims a leading environmental action group.

Climate Change Europe says that the year-long talks between the generators' association Eurelectric and the Commission have produced such disappointing results so far that it is not worth continuing them.

It claims the only results have been an industry promise to promote power-saving light bulbs, and an independent study into regulatory barriers to energy efficiency. It adds that this is a thin return compared with the initial promises.

The electricity industry's embrace of sustainable development was presented as a major turn around, with firms promising to promote energy-saving services and know-how in a move which would actually cut electricity use.

Power companies tacitly admitted that agreeing initiatives with the Commission would help forestall the danger of measures being forced upon them. But question marks have emerged over whether anything concrete will result. "I have serious doubts whether we will see anything much on sustainable development at all," said Climate Change's energy specialist Liam Salter.

His organisation is calling for a proposed directive which would force firms to explore energy-efficiency measures to be revived. That has been sidelined since the talks began.

Commission sources admit to problems in lining up industry, with the Directorates-General for the environment (DGXI) and energy (DGXVII), behind Eurelectric's proposals. Key among these are concerns about how to pin industry down to voluntary agreements.

"Eurelectric has a new programme which is very vague," commented one official.

Other observers say that Eurelectric has had difficulty getting its diverse membership to agree on a common line. Firms within the organisation range from those which have already taken a lead in sustainable development to others which are dragging their feet.

But Eurelectric has rejected attacks on its plans, stressing that the Commission supported its proposal for an academic study into how energy-saving services should be promoted and its call for energy-efficient lighting to be part of an agreed sustainable power programme.

The organisation added that electricity companies had come up with an independent 'energy wisdom programme' committing them to boosting national energy-efficiency measures.

"Member companies have expressed enthusiasm for this programme," said a spokesman, who added that Eurelectric was also working on ways to audit the energy-saving measures introduced by its members.

Climate Change Europe criticises the Commission's attempt to negotiate a voluntary energy-efficiency package with European electricity producers.