PRESS RELEASE
17 December 2024
At the EU Council in Brussels yesterday (16 December 2024), Energy Ministers from the 27 EU Member States adopted conclusions on geothermal energy and discussed the future of energy policy in view of a genuine Energy Union. Furthermore, the Hungarian Presidency and the European Commission, represented by the Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, provided an update on the Action Plan on Grids.
Below is a statement from COGEN Europe’s Managing Director, Hans Korteweg.
“COGEN Europe welcomes the deliberations and conclusions agreed by EU Energy Ministers yesterday. As Europe’s energy sector decarbonises, security of supply, resilience and affordability must be tackled to ensure clean energy for all. To achieve this, energy efficiency must be enforced across the entire energy value chain – in energy conversion, energy demand, but also when it comes to grid deployment and operation.”
“COGEN Europe fully supports the Council’s call on the Commission to draw up a comprehensive strategy on the decarbonisation of heating and cooling. The EU economy cannot reach net-zero emissions by 2050 without faster uptake of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in heating and cooling. Future proof cogeneration solutions are available today to deliver significant emission reductions in heat supply, as well as flexible power to complement electrification across different sectors.”
“We also appreciate the adopted Council Conclusions on Geothermal Energy. In this respect, we echo the IEA’s recent report (The Future of Geothermal Energy) in stressing the important potential of using geothermal energy to produce both heat and power via cogeneration. Such an approach is key to ensuring the efficient utilisation of geothermal resources, while at the same time decarbonising district heating networks and supporting power grids.”
Further information
Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy) (16/12/2024)
Geothermal energy: Council calls for faster deployment (Press Release, 16/12/2024)
International Energy Agency: Report on The Future of Geothermal Energy (13/12/2024)
Launch of the Action Plan on Grids (Press Release, 28/11/2023)
Follow up to the Action Plan on Grids – Information from the Commission and the Council Presidency