Clingendael International Energy Programme CIEP

Training

Energy Training

Stirring the EU Fuel Mix Thursday, 27 May 2010

European energy policy of the last two decades has seen many discussions and policy documents on the classic energy policy triangle: security, sustainability and affordability of energy supplies. From the 1990s onwards, tangible and binding policies have primarily been formed in the field of market organisation, with the result being that, in the various national gas markets, all gas and electricity consumers are legally able to choose between alternative suppliers as of 2007. EU energy and climate policies also started to take shape from the 1990s onwards culminating in 2008 with a ‘green’ energy package. Meanwhile, a coherent external policy that tackles security of supply problems clearly appears to be lacking.

Against the backdrop of the 2008-2009 international financial and economic crisis, the EU is striving to achieve an equitable balance in the energy policy triangle. The EU has aired the intention to “fully balance” these three energy policy objectives. The European Commission and the Council have announced ambitious plans to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the run-up to 2020. By 2020, the EU aims to have met its ’20-20-20’ targets. On this sustainable energy front, the EU faces a complex set of interrelated problems.

If the EU is to achieve its ‘20-20-20’ targets, what fuel mix would this entail for the union and the member states? What will drive these fundamental changes and how will it all be financed? If the leap from a fossil fuel-based energy mix today to one involving 20 percent of worth of renewable and sustainable energy in 2020 is to be achieved, what impact will this have on energy infrastructures in the EU energy markets and how are the member states to be interconnected when it comes to this issue? How are companies and policy-makers going to cope with such a challenging array of interconnected issues? How will they ensure a level playing field in terms of different fuels and across member states? Doubtlessly, the EU’s policy-makers will, both at a supranational as well as at a member state level, have to stir creatively in the EU’s fuel mix to achieve their objectives. The privatisation and financing of such a green agenda is often a neglected aspect of debates concerning 20-20-20.

Aims

This energy training aims to shed light on some of these questions. While last year’s CIEP energy training on the EU, in May 2009 focussed on the EU’s external energy agenda, this particular training aims to turn attention to the internal EU dimensions of the sustainable energy agenda.

The aim of the training is to acquire a deeper understanding of synergies and possible conflicts between EU energy policy targets. Also, participants will learn about possible future scenario’s for the EU and the way they influence the realisation of energy policy targets, gain further insights into the complexities involved with respect to external EU energy policies and discuss internal and external EU energy policies throughout the training.

Content

The course is characterised by an integrated approach to energy training - combining attention for the notion of security of energy supply, market and price developments and the environment - and offers lectures on trends and developments in the EU power and gas sectors, the regulation of networks, power investments in a liberalised market and changing circumstances in world energy markets and the relevance for EU market policies.

Organisation

The Clingendael International Energy Programme co-operates with representatives of governments, the industry and non-governmental (research) institutes. This co-operation leads to a balanced programme, offering insights into the strategies of the most important relevant actors in the energy sector.

Duration/Date

This one day course is held at the Clingendael Institute on Thursday, 27 May 2010.
Enrolment is possible for this course or in combination with other CIEP training courses. On 4 November, 2010, CIEP will hold another training on the geo-economics of energy transition (see Shifting the Rules of the Game with a Low-Carbon World).

Participants

This one day course is developed for participants working in the energy sector or related professions.

Costs

The costs of the course are € 495, including refreshments, lunch and learning materials. A discount is given to participants enrolling in more than one CIEP training course and to participants from CIEP partners.

Information

Contact person for this course is Timothy Boon von Ochssée, email: timothybvo@clingendael.nl

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