Cyprus Mail: Rethinking Europe’s energy and climate policy
CITIZENS IN Europe are brought up and nourished with green energy and lower carbon emissions ideas. Virtually all emphasis from high school energy competitions to business entrepreneurship contests revolve around “green” energy ideals. Conventional energy sources, such as coal, oil and natural gas, which currently power the world economy, are sidelined in favour of other energy sources such as solar and wind which fall under the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) category. RES are painted as more environmentally benign with the potential of generating abundant new employment opportunities, boosting competitiveness and improving standard and quality of life.
Reality is slightly different though. In order for the public to form a well-rounded opinion they need also to be aware of the other side of the coin, that is, the details about conventional energy sources. Oil dominates transportation not only for its superb energy density but also for its relatively safe nature, ease of storage and comparatively modest price. In addition, coal is a much cheaper and reliable fuel than solar electricity and is predominantly used for electrical power generation. Owing to its lower price tag and smaller carbon footprint, natural gas is primarily used as a fuel for power generation and for industrial and domestic purposes. Even though fossil fuels tax the environment through their atmospheric emissions, renewable energy cannot (yet) alone meet the world’s energy needs, for several reasons. The intermittent nature of RES as well as their lower energy density in conjunction with their higher costs and unreliability, compared to conventional sources, constitute major drawbacks. Electricity grid stability is another matter which RES need to address prior to their pervasive adoption.