In the recast of the EED, the European Commission proposes a binding EU energy efficiency target for primary energy in 2030, the European Parliament agrees, but the Council of the EU supports an indicative target only.
An EU binding primary energy target is crucial to:
Encourage the deployment of renewable energy and the most efficient energy sources and production technologies, as well as the sustainable use of waste heat recovery.
Reduce EU’s energy imports, particularly oil and gas.
Support a more efficient and integrated energy system and technologies that reduce energy losses in the conversion, transmission and distribution sectors.
Incentivise demand-response measures to reduce peak demand and therefore the overall generation capacity, in a way that rewards consumers.
Deprioritising primary energy, by making the EU target indicative, means dismissing the efficiency of the whole energy system and its associated benefits for the environment and economy, such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy bills. We urge co-legislators to green-light a binding EU target for primary energy in the EED trilogues.
