As 2008 drew to a close, the EU announced its "20/20/20" package. Under that plan, the EU committed to cutting CO2 emissions by 20% from 1990's levels and to ensuring that renewable energy will also contribute 20% of the total continental electricity mix. Both targets are legally binding and must be achieved by 2020. Notwithstanding the credit crunch and the fall in the price of oil, which make securing funding for wind projects more challenging, the size of the EU commitment to renewable energy means that long term prospects for wind power remain good.
The wind resources over Europe's seas represent a vast indigenous and almost untapped source of clean renewable energy. The Commission has made it clear that member governments should therefore do all they can to exploit offshore wind energy. The Commission has recognised the need for a clear, stable and favourable framework to enable the offshore wind market to develop to its full potential, whilst ensuring member states are aware of their responsibility to encourage offshore wind development on a national level.
European businesses are global leaders in the harnessing of wind power and generating electricity without fossil fuels. Furthermore, new projects will create new jobs and growth in an emerging market at a time of severe economic difficulty. With this in mind it is hardly surprising that going 'green' is being hailed as the third industrial revolution. Industry leaders would like wind energy to maintain its competitive advantage over other renewable energy sources and, more importantly, ensure that wind energy is able to compete with conventional energy sources.
This timely Summit brings together a panel of exceptional speakers to examine the prospects for European expansion and continued growth for offshore wind energy. The event will address current obstacles such as funding, technical challenges, supply chain bottlenecks, integrated planning and cross border co-operation, access to electricity grids and the potential to exploit existing synergies.
£895
$1242
€947 
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