Members tackle EU`s energy goal

…Reasons cited for the push for renewable energy and wind power included Saudi Arabia having passed its peak oil production in 2005, climate change and growing population, said Michael Mueller, parliamentary state secretary of the Ministry for Environment, Conservation and Nuclear Safety in Germany. Europe has also nearly reached the peak of its hydroelectric capacity.

‘This road map must be followed by all governments,’ Mueller said.

There is no official legal basis for how the directive will be implemented, but there will be, said Fabrizio Barbaso, deputy director of the European Parliament.

The EU faces challenges to wind power similar to those in the United States: concern over environmental and aesthetic impact, noise, cost and siting. However, Europe has taken the next step and faces more difficult problems in its offshore wind production.

UPI