Irish Regions Office Website

November 03, 2008

Energy Research Alliance to foster the "green" energy technologies

The EU Commissioners for Research and Energy, Janez Potocnik and Andris Piebalgs respectively, have welcomed, on 28 October, the initiative of leading research institutes in the European Union (EU) to found the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA).The triple challenge of energy security, climate change and competitiveness that the EU currently faces is such that it will require scaling up and better coordination of all available resources to develop the energy technologies that will allow Europe's citizens to enjoy a good quality of life in a carbon constrained future where going it alone at national level is likely to lead to failure and waste of resources.

Commissioner Potocnik said that the development of cutting-edge energy technologies requires cooperation in resources beyond national borders and the creation of the European Energy Research Alliance to coordinate national and European energy research programmes was a crucial step forwards. In addition, Commissioner, Piebalgs highlighted that the Commission's Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan, November 2007) is offering a roadmap of action for Europe to develop a world-class portfolio of affordable, clean, efficient and low emission energy technologies by combining the potential of energy research capacities of the major European institutes and universities with the engagement of European industry and the commitment of the Member States. The SET Plan also includes a series of new priority European Industrial Initiatives focusing on the development of technologies for which working at Community level will add most value. Initiatives in preparation focus on carbon capture and storage, bio-energy, wind and solar energy, the European smart grid and sustainable fission. Actions will be supported by reliable information provided by the Commission's European Energy Technology Information System (SETIS).

EERA now becomes is the SET Plan's research community pillar. The cooperation of major national research institutes and universities will move help to move from today's model of collaborating on individual projects towards a new way of jointly implementing whole programmes which go from research and development through deployment. There are many scientific fields which have an impact on the development of energy technologies, from engineering to the social sciences. The Alliance is able to cover many different disciplines, bringing a much-needed multidisciplinary approach to energy research.

Posted by iroronan at November 3, 2008 01:58 PM