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Small district heating systems key to improving Poland’s air quality

Small, coal-fired district heating systems are a major source of air pollution in Poland. Applying EU regulations would go some way toward solving this problem, write Edith Bayer and Richard Cowart of global energy policy advisors Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), but more needs to be done. Bayer and Cowart draw four lessons from a new…

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Don’t be fooled: ‘Efficiency First’ is a necessary discipline

The idea of “Efficiency First” is on the line in ongoing EU talks. Member States must realise that this is no mere slogan but a real necessity, write Dr. Jan Rosenow, Richard Cowart, and Edith Bayer. According to a leaked document from the Council of the European Union, some members of the Council are resisting…

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On the Road to “Efficiency First” in the Energy Union – Are we there yet?

In 2015, the European Commission adopted moderating energy demand as a pillar of the Energy Union and “Efficiency First” as a guiding principle underpinning it. Last Friday, the Commission released its third State of the Energy Union. So how is Europe doing on implementing “Efficiency First”? The Commission states that it “has presented nearly all the proposals…

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The future of network regulation: Let’s pay consumers to support the grid

The very fabric of modern economies and the challenge to ensure that our energy systems evolve to provide reliable, affordable, clean energy for us, our children, and grandchildren is at stake in Europe this year, explains Edith Bayer. How much do you pay for electricity and why? And what role do you play (if any)…

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Buildings Have Quietly Become the Most Strategic Energy Investment in Europe

At the second State of the Energy Union conference, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič noted the central role of local authorities and the business community in driving energy efficiency in Europe and underlined the Commission’s determination to harness the European Fund for Strategic Investments to build on progress. The Energy Union encompasses five “pillars” that all…

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How Europe can Deliver on Energy Efficiency

The European Commission’s recently released Clean Energy Package, has a 2030 target of 30 percent energy savings. An important policy instrument to deliver these are Energy Efficiency Obligation (EEO) schemes. According to new RAP research, not only are EEOs a highly cost-effective way to deliver energy efficiency, but over the long term they can deliver…

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Gdzie się zmieści Polska w nowym modelu rynku energii w UE?

Zamiast kosztownych mechanizmów pomostowych w rodzaju operacyjnej rezerwy, należy poprawić efektywność sektora i określić długofalową wizję rozwoju energetyki. Europejski system energetyczny znajduje się fazie transformacji, która jest wywoływana potrzebą modernizacji, postępem technologicznym oraz koniecznością redukowania emisji: Według założeń Komisji Europejskiej udział energii ze źródeł odnawialnych zwiększy się z 25% obecnie do 50% w 2030 roku….