By Kate Abnett and Inti Landauro
Sept 29 (Reuters) – Spain, Portugal, and Luxembourg have urged the European Union to set a 2040 target to expand renewable energy, in a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday, setting up a clash with other EU countries who want the goal to include nuclear power.
The European Commission is preparing a raft of new EU energy policies to steer the bloc’s energy strategy after 2030. The EU has a target to increase the share of renewable sources in its overall energy consumption by 2030 to 42.5%, but currently no 2040 goal.
“Investors need to have clear signals,” Spanish Energy Minister Sara Aagesen told reporters on Tuesday about why Spain wants a renewables goal.
The three countries said in the letter to EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen, dated 25 September and seen by Reuters: “Renewables are proven and competitive solutions that can be deployed in the EU at scale and on time.”
Pointing to the impact of the war with Iran, it said: “A high reliance on fossil fuels puts our economies and citizens in a vulnerable position. Because of geopolitical uncertainties, and as shown by the consequences of the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, we need to act fast to cut dependencies.”
However, their call sets up a clash with other EU governments, who want a broader “clean energy” goal that would include nuclear power – an energy source which nations including France and Sweden have championed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports.
“We definitely have to see nuclear as part of the solution,” Finland’s Climate Minister Sari Multala told reporters on Tuesday, at a meeting of EU energy ministers.
The EU has no targets to expand nuclear energy, because some member countries – such as Austria and Luxembourg – firmly oppose the energy source, citing concerns about safety and nuclear waste.
As EU consumers struggle with rising energy and fuel prices due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, Aagesen said Spain and five other countries have asked the EU to consider measures to capture companies’ windfall profits from high energy prices.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro, and Kate Abnett; Writing by Mateusz Rabiega; Editing by Ronojoy Mazumdar and Alison Williams)
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