EU Wind Sector Calls for Binding 2030 Target

BRUSSELS, March 14, 2011 - The EU must adopt a binding renewable energy target for 2030 to secure
long-term investment in renewable energy.

At the opening in Brussels today of Europe's largest wind power
conference and exhibition, Arthouros Zervos, President of the European Wind
Energy Association (EWEA), warned, "the wind industry expects to invest some
EUR 400 billion in Europe between now and 2030. To do so it needs stable and
certain EU energy policy."

In a new report launched today, "EU Energy Policy to 2050", EWEA argues
that the renewable energy targets set so far have enabled Europe to become
world leader in renewable energy technologies, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Therefore, the report argues, this successful policy should be
repeated for the period after 2020, together with the support of an Emissions
Performance Standard, and a tighter Emissions Trading System.

"We are facing a policy vacuum after 2020," said Zervos. "We must ensure
that the renewable energy targets established in 2001 and 2009 are replicated
for the period after 2020 with ambitious 2030 targets. We must ensure that
that the success story of renewable energy in Europe survives beyond 2020."

EWEA supports an overall EU renewable energy target as proposed by the
European Renewable Energy Council (EREC). The EREC believes that not less
than 45% of the EU's total energy consumption can come from renewable sources
by 2030.

Wind energy alone could meet 28.5% of Europe's electricity demand by
then, according to EWEA's scenarios. Already the Member States' National
Renewable Energy Action Plans show wind energy providing over 14% of the EU's
electricity by 2020.

EWEA President Arthouros Zervos demanded renewable energy targets for
2030 within the lifetime of the current European Commission and Parliament:
"European Commission President Barroso and the other EU leaders need to
consider their legacy. They need to provide the renewables sector with a
stable framework in which to grow and provide renewable power, new jobs,
manufacturing and construction in Europe by giving us targets for 2030, and
within the next four years."

He warned: "For some, 2020 is far away. For politicians it is at least
two elections away - a political lifetime. But for the electricity industry
it is the day after tomorrow."

In a message to EWEA 2011 Herman van Rompuy, President of the European
Council said: "An important step will be to consider what happens after the
current successful policies run out in 2020."

In a message to EWEA 2011, Jerzy Buzek, President of the European
Parliament, said: "EU energy policy needs long term decisions, not just to
achieve our 2020 commitments, but also to create certainty for industry on
the road to a low carbon economy and to 80% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions
by 2050."

Read the 2050 report (
www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/publications/reports/E
WEA_EU_Energy_Policy_to_2050.pdf)

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For more information on EWEA Annual Event (www.ewec2011.info/)

For more information contact: Peter Sennekamp, EWEA, peter.sennekamp at ewea.org, +32-2-213-18-33