European Parliament Pushes for More Ambitious Renewable Energy Targets

But the parliament’s 2030 proposal still has to win out over a weaker EU Council plan.

Renewable energy groups are hoping that a 35 percent clean power target proposed by the European Parliament will prevail over a less ambitious plan put forward by the Council of the European Union that aims for 27 percent.

The 2030 target negotiations held in January saw Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) pushing for stronger objectives than those proposed by the Council, not only for renewables, but also for energy efficiency and distributed energy regulations.

EU Votes to Boost Renewable Energy Targets

European Union (EU) lawmakers have voted to boost energy efficiency and the use of renewable sources in the next 22 years.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said renewable energy sources should account for 35% of total consumption by 2030, up on a 27% target proposed by the European Commission in December. National targets will be set, and member states will be able to deviate from the agreed goal by 10%. 

The EU Parliament also voted in favour of a minimum 35% binding EU energy efficiency target, and a draft law on energy efficiency was approved.