Wind Energy Gives Europe a Competitive Advantage, Says EU Energy Commissioner

MARSEILLE, France - “Wind energy can replace a large proportion of the polluting and finite
fuels we currently rely on,” explained Andris Piebalgs, EU Energy
Commissioner, at the opening session of the European Wind Energy Conference
and Exhibition (EWEC) organised by the European Wind Energy Association
(EWEA) this morning. “It makes good sense to invest in indigenous sources of
power which hedge against unpredictable fossil fuel prices and in which
Europe has a real competitive advantage”.

According to the European Commission, 3.5% of the world’s proven coal
reserves are in the EU. We sit on less than 2% of the world’s gas; less than
2% of its uranium and we have under 1% of the world’s oil. “The fight over
the world’s rapidly depleting fuel resources is already intensifying,”
emphasised Arthouros Zervos, EWEA’s President, at the session. “It will only
become more brutal with time and Europe will lose the battle. European
companies have two thirds of the EUR35 billion global market for wind power
technology. Wind energy is Europe’s contribution to peace, progress and
prosperity and we should urgently develop, promote and export it to the best
of our ability.”

Wind energy’s contribution to prosperity is analysed in detail in a new
EWEA report launched today, which Zervos presented to delegates. ‘The
Economics of Wind Energy’ provides a detailed insight into wind energy
economics and compares the costs of wind to those of other power-generating
technologies.

Zervos also announced that EWEA has increased its 2020 target for
installed wind energy capacity in the EU from 180 GW to 230 GW, including 40
GW offshore. He explained that “the agreement on the EU Renewable Energy
Directive in December 2008 and its mandatory 2020 renewables targets for the
Member States have increased our optimism for the sector’s outlook. We have
therefore increased our targets. However, these targets will only be met if
all the Member States implement the directive swiftly and effectively.”

Previously, EWEA’s target was set at 180 GW of installed capacity in the
EU by 2020, including 35 GW offshore. The new 230 GW target would produce
approximately 600 TWh per year in the EU by 2020, power equivalent to the
needs of 135 million average EU households (60% of EU households) and meeting
between 14 and 18% of EU electricity demand (depending on total demand in
2020).

Mechtild Rothe, Vice President of the European Parliament said that wind
energy can make a real difference to employment and economies. “Wind energy
is an excellent example of how to intelligently invest in a future-orientated
sustainable economy getting thousands of people into jobs,” she said.
“Especially in these times of uncertainty it is very important that the
European wind energy industry has created more than 60,000 new jobs over the
past five years. These are not mere statistics - this is the competitive
strength of Europe! Wind energy has definitely become a driving force of our
economies. We have learned from the current crisis that we should not wait
until the problems are there before we act - we need to invest in wind energy
now.”

Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA),
focused on the environmental benefits of wind energy in his presentation,
saying that it “has an important role to play in climate change mitigation”
but to tap into wind’s full potential “we need effective national policies
and a strong international framework. We need to reinforce, expand and link
up our transmission networks. We must also increase research and development
efforts in wind energy technology.” Tanaka went on to stress the importance
of focusing economic recovery plans on green investments for a short-term
stimulus and long-term benefits.

Roland Sunden, CEO of LM Glasfiber and Chair of EWEC 2009 said today that
“in 2008, more wind was installed in the EU than any other power generating
technology. The track record of wind is the most visible proof that it
creates great value. And as the financial and economic crises deepen, this
becomes especially relevant, and that relevance creates a historic window of
opportunity for everybody who is committed to combating climate change, to
supporting technological leadership and to creating new competitive exports
and jobs.”

Andre Antolini, President of the French Renewable Energy Association
(SER) cited France as a specific example of the difference wind can make to
the economy. He said that “in France there are now over 130 companies that
produce components for - or offer services to - the wind energy sector. Wind
energy helps industry and the economy.” Marcin Korolec, Secretary of State
for the Ministry of the Economy in Poland, agreed. “The development of wind
energy stimulates the whole economy, particularly at times of crisis”, he
said.

Jean-Louis Bal, Renewable Energy Director at ADEME, reinforced the
important effects meeting the 2020 targets will have on Europe’s future,
saying that “the 20-20-20 by 2020 objectives represent an important
investment, but also an investment whose medium and long term benefits are
far higher than the costs.”

To give a visual display of the benefits of wind energy Roland Sunden
switched on a ‘wind energy counter’, which will run until the close of EWEC.
The counter will show how much electricity wind has provided in Europe, how
many investments have been made and jobs created in the sector, and the
number of turbines built during the four days.

EWEC is taking place in Marseille and will run until Thursday 19 March.
Other sessions will cover political, grid, technical and scientific issues
related to wind energy. Broadcast-standard videos highlighting the main
activities at EWEC will be made available on www.thenewsmarket.com as from
Tuesday, 17 March.

To download ‘The Economics of Wind Energy’, click here:
www.ewea.org/index.php?id=11.

For more information on EWEC, see www.ewec2009.info.

Contact:
Isabelle Valentiny
T: +32-2-546-19-81
M: +32-474-54-20-25

Source: EWEA

Contact: Isabelle Valentiny, T: +32-2-546-19-81, M: +32-474-54-20-25