LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), June 19 (SeeNews) – Slovenia should take action to significantly increase the share of energy from renewable sources to at least 37% as the country’s contribution to the EU’s 2030 target for renewable energy, the European Commission said.
According to most recent data by Eurostat, the share of energy from renewable sources in Slovenia was 21.5% in 2017.
The country should also substantially increase the ambition towards reducing primary energy consumption in 2030 in view of the need to increase the level of efforts to reach the EU’s 2030 energy efficiency target, the Commission said in recommendations on Slovenia's integrated national energy and climate plan for 2021-2030.
The EU's executive body also recommended that Slovenia takes action to specify cost-efficient additional policies and measures notably on buildings in view of the 2030 greenhouse gas target of a 15% decrease compared to 2005 for sectors outside the EU emissions trading system.
The country should also specify the measures supporting the energy security objectives on diversification and reduction of energy dependency, including measures ensuring flexibility, as well as define forward-looking objectives and targets concerning market integration, in particular measures to develop more competitive wholesale and retail markets.
The Commission also said that Slovenia needs to provide a general overview on the investment needed to modernise its economy by reaching its energy and climate objectives, and a general assessment of the sources of that investment, including appropriate financing at national, regional and EU level. Slovenia is also urged to list all energy subsidies, including those for fossil fuels in particular, and actions undertaken as well as plans to phase them out.
Slovenia's national objectives and funding targets in research, innovation and competitiveness, specifically related to the Energy Union, should be clarified in order to be achieved between 2023 and 2030, the Commission noted.
Regarding action at regional and EU level, Slovenia needs to carry out fully-fledged consultations with neighbouring countries and other EU member states in order to promote the achievement of the objectives of the Energy Union in a cost-optimal manner, the Commission said. It also recommended that Slovenia explore further the cross-border potential and the macro-regional aspects of a coordinated energy and climate policy notably in the Adriatic with the aim of reducing the region’s carbon footprint and implementing an ecosystem approach.
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The Musselshell wind farm in Montana. Image by: Goldwind Americas.
