Low-carbon transition in the energy sector

What is the impact of the current power sector on the transition to greener energy?

The fossil fuel dependency of Europe’s energy infrastructure produces a great barrier to the transition towards a more secure, affordable and sustainable energy system. This report’s purpose was to assess the extent to which the thermal power sector in each Member State and the EU as a whole has the potential to facilitate the necessary transition towards long-term EU energy and climate objectives or to give rise to unsustainable lock-ins in the run-up to 2050. We performed this assessment by investigating the current structure and GHG profile of the EU power sector, the likely evolution of the EU power sector until 2050, and how the evolution of the EU thermal power plant stock compares with GHG mitigation scenarios.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published the report on the low carbon transition in the power sector in the European Union. This report, prepared with support from Trinomics, provides a better understanding of the theoretical evolution of fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and how this would contrast with the qualitatively different EU power sector needed in order to achieve EU climate goals.