Klima-, Energi- og Forsyningsudvalget 2021-22
KEF Alm.del Bilag 284
Offentligt
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Danish Government response to the public consultation by the European
Commission on the EU Strategy for solar energy
Date
11 April 2022
Danish key priorities for the EU strategy for solar energy
The Danish government
Expresses overall support for the Commission’s approach to scaling up renewable
energy and fully agrees that solar energy plays a key role in contributing to cost-effi-
ciently achieving the EU-level target for renewable energy by 2030 and climate neu-
trality by 2050.
Encourages the Commission to work for an ambitious level of renewable energy in
the EU and strengthen the European renewable ecosystem.
Emphasizes that the individual Member States must maintain flexibility to determine
its own renewable energy mix and the general structure of its energy supply based
on a technology-neutral design of the national energy market.
Encourages the Commission to involve the respective Member States in the identifi-
cation of barriers for a market-driven deployment of solar energy and ways to pro-
mote it as much as possible
.
Emphasizes that renewable energy, including solar energy, should be considered as
being in the public interest and serving public safety.
The Danish Government welcomes the opportunity to comment on the European
Commission’s public consultation on the EU strategy for solar energy.
The Danish Government supports an EU strategy for solar energy and the current
proposal for a strategy framework. The Commission’s priorities are consistent with
the Danish Government’s agenda on prioritising and supporting a cost-efficient ac-
celerated development of renewable energy - including solar energy production.
Increase ambitions for renewable energy in 2030
Denmark fully agrees with the Commission’s assessment that achieving the EU
emissions reduction target of at least 55 pct. by 2030 necessitates an accelerated
clean energy transition with renewable energy at its core.
The energy sector will be the main contributor to reaching the 2030 climate target,
and it must be at the centre of an ambitious effort to realize the enhanced climate
target of at least 55 pct. cost-effectively by 2030 and to become climate neutral by
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2050. To achieve this, Europe needs to transform its energy system fundamentally.
The Strategy on Energy System Integration
provides a viable pathway for achieving
this with its focus on high shares of renewable energy and integration of different
energy systems through electrification.
The Danish Government believes that the European energy sector should deliver a
larger share of the EU's reduction target and is working towards increasing the
binding EU-level target for renewable energy in 2030 to 45 pct. Here, solar power
has the potential to deliver a substantial share of the needed renewable energy
production, especially towards 2030.
The falling price of renewable energy technology and the current rise in fossil fuel
prices means that an even greater share of renewable energy is indeed possible. In
addition, this will drive an increased demand for all types of renewable energy tech-
nologies e.g. solar energy, thereby stimulating the supply of affordable and sustain-
able solar energy products.
Flexibility for Member States to determine own energy mix
The Danish Government fully acknowledges the need for an identification of policy
measures with the aim of accelerating the deployment of solar energy and ensuring
a secure supply of affordable and sustainable solar energy products. Still, Member
States must maintain its right to determine its own energy mix and the placement
and ownership of solar power.
It is important to maintain the discretion for Member States to choose the best-suited
measures with the aim of accelerating the deployment of solar energy on a national
level. For the Danish Government such elements are e.g. the right to structure the
national energy system on basis of technology-neutrality and the right to set national
targets for solar power production. The strategy should not lead to policy measures
that promote self-consumption or RES communities over alternatives, with the risk
of a displacement of socio-economically more efficient production from the grid.
Member States involvement in the identification of local barriers is key
Member States differ greatly in terms of both energy mix, solar potential (energy in-
put), national legislation and governance structure. The Danish Government encour-
ages the Commission to continuously involve the respective Member States in the
identifications of local barriers that hinders a market-driven expansion of the solar
energy sector, and in the development of the necessary policy measures with the
aim of overcoming these barriers. Therefore, the Danish Government supports an
ambitious transition pathway for Renewable Energy as the Industrial Forum will pub-
lish in 2022.
We are undergoing a climate crisis as well as a biodiversity crisis. An accelerated
development of renewable energy and the preservation of nature and natural habi-
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tats are not opposing objectives, but considerations that has to coexist. It is of ut-
most importance that we find balanced solutions to accelerate the development of
renewable energy all over Europe without jeopardizing the protected nature. Co-ex-
istence is the key going forward. In this regard, renewable energy, including solar
energy, should be considered as being in the public interest and serving public
safety, in accordance with relevant Union law. To that end, there is a need for fur-
ther flexibility to facilitate the use of existing derogations in various areas of public
law, particularly under environmental law, in order to avoid inappropriate delays
and lengthy planning and permitting procedures, e.g. in relation to permitting.
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