European Parliament vote: Big win for solar

RESULTS OF EU PARLIAMENT ITRE COMMITTEE VOTE ON RECAST RENEWABLE ENERGY DIRECTIVE 28 NOVEMBER 2017

 TARGETS

 Minimum, binding 35% EU RES target at EU level.

• With the help of “benchmarks”, Member States should define their 2030 national targets, which together, should add up to an EU-wide 35% target.
• EU countries would be allowed to deviate from their targets by maximum 10% only in “exceptional and duly justified circumstances” and provided that they send a notification to the EU Commission by 2025.
• The Commission would need to take corrective measures if, as a result of Member States’ notifications, the EU 35% target is at risk of not being met.

SUPPORT SCHEMES

 Current EU rules set by state aid guidelines should continue to apply in the next decade:

• • Member States should be able to choose between technology neutral or technology specific support schemes for energy from renewable sources.
  • As for support to electricity from renewable sources, exemptions from the use of market premiums should continue to be possible for projects below 500 KW and exemptions from the allocation of support via tenders should continue to be possible for installations below 1 MW (different numbers for wind).
• Member States should publish schedules of support for the 5-years ahead.
• Support schemes should not be changed retrospectively. Changes should be announced at least 9 months before they enter into force and they should involve a public consultation process.
• Member States should provide compensation to supported projects in case regulatory changes such as electricity tariff redesigns and increased curtailment levels affect such projects in a “significant or discriminatory manner”.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

•  Member States should make sure that RES projects below 8 KW can be connected to the grid following a notification to the local grid operator.
• Developers of projects between 10.8 KW and 50 KW should send a notification to the local grid operator. If no answer is made within two weeks or in the case of a positive answer they would then be able to connect.
• However, within two weeks, the local grid operator has the possibility to reject the new connection on “justified grounds” or propose a solution. Project developers may at that point decide to go through the normal authorisation procedure.
• Authorisation procedures for projects between 50 KW and 1 MW should be digitalised, involve a single contact point and last maximum 1 year.
• Authorisation procedures for projects above 1 MW should be as above and last maximum 3 years.

ENERGY DEMOCRACY

• Member States should allow consumers to become RES prosumers, either individually or collectively.
• Prosumers should be exempted from the requirement of obtaining a supply licence provided they inject into the grid max 10 MWh/year at individual level or 500 MWh/year collectively.
• Excess generation should be remunerated at least at the market.
• Electricity consumed “within their premises” should not be liable for “any charge, fee, or tax”; complementary storage systems should not be charged either; however, the text is ambiguous as to prosumers’ contribution to network.
• “Premises” are broadly defined as residential area, commercial, industrial and shared services site, or closed distribution.
• Third party ownership of on-site plants should be allowed and barriers to the adoption of decentralised RES by low-income consumers or tenants should be removed.
• Member States should allow consumers to join RES communities. Communities should be composed of at least a majority of local actors and they should not be allowed to install more than 18 MW within 5 years.

GUARANTEES OF ORIGIN AND CORPORATE PROCUREMENT OF RES

•  Member States should make sure that RES plants installed after 2020 are not double- compensated.
• To reach this objective, Member States should choose among the following options:
  • Issue and then cancel GOs associated with subsidised RES.
  • Give GOs to subsidised RES producers but make sure that support is either granted within competitive frameworks or is adjusted taking into account the possible revenues from GO
  • In the framework of a corporate PPA, give the GO directly to the corporate buyer.
• Member States should assess and lift barriers to corporate RES procurement and make information available to the public.

E-MOBILITY

• Member States should reach a 12% RES in transport targets by mandating fuel suppliers to sell a certain share of renewable energy to the transport sector – RES electromobility can be part of that RES share.

 

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