EU Commissioner on fossil fuels fallout and how to ramp up renewablesWind permitting should ‘not...

EU Commissioner on fossil fuels fallout and how to ramp up renewables

Wind permitting should 'not take more than six months', Dan Jørgensen tells GWEC

27 March, Lisbon, Portugal |In the latest Wind. Powering The Future.podcast from the Global Wind Energy Council, EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen puts forward a range of policy measures to respond to the turmoil in oil and gas markets, as he vows the European Union "will not step back from our green transition".

In conversation with GWEC CEO Ben Backwell, the European Commission representative singles out faster permitting and grid connections among the actions EU governments should take to accelerate renewables deployment and reduce Europe's dependence on volatile fossil fuels.

Mr Jørgensen warns there is no "silver bullet" that can resolve today's challenges, but says bringing more wind and other renewables onto the grid "as soon as possible" is a key priority in order to deliver energy security.

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"We need to do far more," says Mr Jørgensen, highlighting the European Union's efforts to expand electrification and overcome challenges faced by project developers. "This present conflict - and the crisis that that has led to - for me is just underlining how important it is that we speed up our green transition in Europe."

"One very big problem is the time it takes to get a permit," he warns. "Permitting needs to be fundamentally reformed... Today it's easily five years, sometimes even a decade to get a permit to build a wind farm or solar farm or making a grid connection. We want to say that that should, in theory and as a general rule, not take more than six months."

Talking about the "strained" transatlantic relationship and impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Mr Jørgensen told the podcast. "We need to become independent on so many different issues and in so many different ways. The most obvious one is of course military. But think about it, does it make sense to speak about security without speaking about energy? Obviously it doesn't."

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During the conversation with Mr Backwell, the former Danish Minister of Climate and Energy points to Denmark as an example of a country that developed its renewable sector following the 1970s oil crises.

"On the other hand, even in a country like Denmark by the way, but certainly at a European Union level, we are still too dependent on fossils," says the Commissioner, who earlier this month called on EU member states to cut taxes on electricity as another way to bring down energy bill costs.

Spain is one country in Europe that analysts have identified as being much better insulated against skyrocketing gas prices, owing to the higher share of renewables in the energy mix. "It's quite clear that the member states with the highest degree of renewables are also the ones with the lowest prices," says Jørgensen, while also highlighting the need for more interconnections between countries. "So [we need] more renewables on grid, online, as soon as possible," he continues.

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During the podcast, the EU Commissioner sets out his belief that Europe should be a destination of choice for renewable energy investors and developers. "Here's a safe harbour to put your investments. We will not step back from our green transition," he says. "Our mission of decarbonisation is one that is on track."

Listen to the Wind.Powering the Future.podcast with GWEC's CEO, Ben Backwell, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast providers.