EU NEEDS SUPERGRID

Europe’s offshore wind resources are just amazing. They could make a huge contribution to EU’s power and make it possible for the EU to reach its target 20% of electricity from New Energy by 2020 – if there was a grid to carry it.

Airtricity, the Irish wind energy giant, floated a plan for just such a Supergrid, a 10 gigawatt, high voltage interconnection spanning Europe from the Irish Sea east to the Baltic and south to the Mediterranean. Now European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs is urging EU members to get the project going.

The U.S. has had a similarly ambitious proposal for a Continental Supergrid on the table since 2001. Maybe when Commissioner Piebalgs finishes knocking heads together in Europe he can drop in on Washington, D.C., and get U.S. leaders to face up to their responsibility.

from Airtricity - click to enlarge

EU’s Piebalgs says grid infrastructure needed quickly for offshore wind energy
Nina Chestney, March 31, 2008 (Thomson Financial via Forbes)

WHO
Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Energy, European Commission (EC) of the European Union (EU)

from Airtricity - click to enlarge

WHAT
In announcing EU funding for a new offshore wind installation, EC Energy Commissioner Piebalgs called for progress on SUPERGRID, a pan-European sub-sea high voltage energy grid, is needed to facilitate the development of Europe’s enormous offshore wind assets.

WHEN
Piebalgs is calling for an action plan on Supergrid by the end of 2008.

from Airtricity - click to enlarge

WHERE
- Supergrid could ultimately cover the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Irish Sea, English Channel, the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean.
- The new EU-funded wind installation will be near Estinnes, Belgium.

WHY
- The new Belgian wind installation will have a 77-megawatt capacity.
- Airtricity is a major proponent of the Supergrid.
- The basic principle underlying the push for a Supergrid is that varying supplies of intermittent energy can be moved around in the service of the entire EU.
- Piebalgs diplomatically urged the EU players to step up collaborative efforts.

from Airtricity - click to enlarge

QUOTES
Piebalgs, EC Commissioner for Energy: 'As [the Supergrid] is not yet in place, it must be developed fairly quickly and a central question is how it should be financed.'