According to the IEA's projections, wind energy will become the EU’s largest power source in 2027, overtaking coal, nuclear and then gas in the process. "This is compared to the IEA’s last projection made in its 2017 World Energy Outlook, where it said this would happen 'soon after 2030,'" WindEurope said.
According to the IEA, wind electricity generation in the EU will more than triple to 1,100 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2040. WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said “this is a resounding vote of confidence in the further expansion of wind power in Europe.”
"We’ve long been saying that more wind makes economic sense, as we’re the cheapest form of new power. It’s great that the IEA now sees wind being the no. 1 source of electricity in Europe in less than ten years," Dickson said.
"That’ll mean new wind farms and modernization of existing ones, all of which will bring jobs, growth and revenues to local communities," he added. Dickson, while acknowledging the benefits of being number one in electricity, however, argued that electricity comprises only 24 percent of Europe’s energy, and advocated for better policies to drive renewables investments.
"To decarbonize the whole energy system, we’re going have to start getting large amounts of wind and other renewables into heating, transport and industrial processes. It’s technically do-able and affordable. It just needs the right policies to drive investments in e.g. electric vehicles, heat pumps and electric boilers in district heating systems," he said.
"The National Energy and Climate Plans for 2030 that EU Member States are now preparing are a great opportunity to push these policies," he explained.
(Anadolu Agency)