Activities of Carlos ZORRINHO related to 2020/2241(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
A European strategy for energy system integration – A European strategy for hydrogen (debate)
Amendments (42)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication of 8 July 2020 entitled ‘A hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe’(COM(2020)0301),
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication of 19 November 2020 entitled “An EU Strategy to harness the potential of offshore renewable energy for a climate neutral future” (COM(2020)741 final),
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 b (new)
Citation 9 b (new)
9b having regard to the Commission communication of 17 September 2020 entitled ‘Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition - Investing in a climate- neutral future for the benefit of our people’ (COM(2020)0562),
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 26 a (new)
Citation 26 a (new)
- having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, amending Regulations (EC) No663/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directives 94/22/EC, 98/70/EC, 2009/31/EC, 2009/73/EC, 2010/31/EU, 2012/27/EU and 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 2009/119/EC and (EU) 2015/652 and repealing Regulation (EU) No525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)
Citation 23 a (new)
- having regard to Directive 2014/94/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure,
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas achieving climate neutrality requires moving away from a system based largely on fossil fuels and accomplishing towards a highly energy- efficient climate-neutral and renewable- based system;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas energy system integration means the coordinated planning and operation of allthe energy system ‘as a whole’, across multiple energy carriers and infrastructures connected to all final consumers, and all final consumers playing an active role with the objective of delivering zero-carbon, reliable, resource-efficient and secure energy services, at the least possible cost in line with the European Green Deal, the Paris Agreement and the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas energy system integration can keep costs for European authorities and European citizens within realistic and acceptable limitsaccelerate the transition towards a climate neutral economy while keeping the costs within acceptable limits, strengthening energy security, protecting health and the environment, and promoting growth, innovation and global industrial leadership;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Supports the direction set out by the Commission in its Communication on a strategy for energy system integration; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that it is implemented rapidly in a spirit of solidarity; encourages the private sector to contribute to its success and support the building of an energy system that drives the EU towards climate neutrality in 2050 at the latest;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that such a strategy can help the Union achieve its climate goals while maintaining energy accessibility and security of supply through the development of an just, efficient, integrated, resilient, cost-competitive, smart and decarbonised system;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates its support for the energy efficiency first principle and recalls that the most sustainable energy is energy which is not consumed; stresses the need for portfolio of climate-friendly solutions to enable the most energy-efficient and cost effective technologies to thrive in the market;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Stresses the need to accelerate the transition to an energy system based on renewable energies and faster electrification of end-use sectors, where possible, bearing in mind costs and energy-efficiency;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Deplores the insufficient progress made by Member States, as set out in the Energy Efficiency Progress Report; encourages the Commission to propose more ambitious targets and instruments to achieve them in the upcoming legislative reviews of the energy and climate regulation, taking into account its recommendations as part of the Energy Union governance process; welcomes, in this regard, the renovation wave strategy and the Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition communication;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to extend the principle of energy efficiency to the entire value chain and to all end-uses; underlines the potential of circularity and reuse of waste, energy and waste heat from industrial processes, buildings and data centres, energy produced from bio-waste or in wastewater treatment plants; draws attention to the modernisation of heat networks, which can play a significant role in heat decarbonisation; stresses the potential of digital tools for smart energy management;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the energy transition will require between EUR 520 and 575 billion in annual infrastructure investment; calls on the Commission to develop sustainable investment criteria which are fully in line with the climate and integration goalenergy targets for 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest in order to make sure that it does not lead to a lock-in of assets;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights the importance of assessing ex-ante and anticipating the need for new energy production, interconnectivity, transmission, distribution, storage and conversion infrastructure in order to optimise its use in a climate- neutral economy and to ensure its economic viabilitycost efficiency while avoiding both lock-in effects and stranded assets;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to use the revision of Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 on trans-European energy infrastructure as an opportunity to includmake it fully consistent with the goal of climate energy system integrationutrality and enable the cost-effective integration of the energy system in the Regulation’s objectives and the 10-year network development planning; stresses that the energy system infrastructure should be integrated with the digital and transport systems; while taking into consideration the need for a methodological approach and governance model that minimises stranded costs;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Highlights the importance of the energy storage technologies role in energy system integration; these technologies link different energy and economic sectors, increase the overall efficiency, optimise of energy system and contribute positively to the energy security;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for the mass deployment of renewable and decarbonised energenergy as a priority; encourages the Commission to propose more ambitious targets in order to increase the share of such renewable energy in electricity generation, heavy industry, transport, construction, heating and cooling (including aviation and maritime transport), construction, heating and cooling; welcomes the Commission’s EU strategy on offshore renewable energy as an opportunity to ramp up renewable power generation, to increase the direct use of electricity and to support indirect electrification, for example, through hydrogen and synthetic fuels; calls on Member States to simplify permission procedures and to remove administrative barriers for the deployment of renewable energy;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Stresses that buildings are responsible for about 40% of the EU’s total energy consumption, and for 36% of greenhouse gas emissions from energy; welcomes the adoption of the Renovation Wave for Europe strategy that will speed up the uptake of energy and resource efficiency measures and higher penetration of renewables in buildings across the EU; calls on the Commission and Member States to take into account the synergies between the energy sector and the building sector to achieve the climate neutrality;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the adoption of the European Hydrogen Strategy; is convinced that renewable and decarbonised hydrogen can help reduce persistent emissions from industrial processes and heavy transporthard-to-abate sectors such as high temperature industry heavy transport, shipping and aviation which cannot be decarbonised through the use of zero-carbon electricity; recalls also the need to accelerate the decarboniseation of existing hydrogen production; stresses that hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources should be prioritised; stresses that renewable hydrogen is the best option which is sustainable in the long term and is in line with the objective of climate neutrality by 2050, as this implies the need to phase out fossil fuels from our economy;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Calls on the Member States to abolish taxes and levies imposed on energy bills that disproportionately penalize renewable energy against other energy forms, and provide the wrong price signals to final energy consumers, especially related with transportation and heating needs;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to set a certification system and to extend the obligation laid down in Directive (EU) 2018/2001 for Member States to issue guarantees of origin for low- and zero- carbonrenewable gases and for renewables;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the need to accelerate researchssess the support and development on technologies for CO2 capture, storage and reuse, taking into account technical and environmental uncertainties that should be solved;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Stresses that there are new sectors that are increasing their energy consumption, such as the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector, which accounts for between 5 and 9% of global electricity consumption; supports the Commission in looking into the synergies between the district heating and cooling and the data centre sectors; welcomes the commitment included in the EU Digital Strategy to make data centres climate-neutral by 2030;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that maintaining the balance of electricity grids and managing demand and production peaks will be more complex with an increasingly decentralised and renewable generation mix; highlights that moving towards decentralised renewable energy production has many benefits, including the utilisation of local energy sources, increased local security of energy supply, fostering community development and cohesion by providing income sources and creating jobs locally; recalls that Member States remain free to determine their energy mix, the diversity of which is fundamental to ensuring security of supply;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Notes that power grid infrastructure should be further enhanced through digitalisation and automatisation to provide flexibility to the system and take advantage of synergies with other energy vectors; emphasises that a smart, more integrated system will allow growing penetration of decentralised and flexible renewable energy production, as well as a highly interconnected electricity system;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Stresses the importance of the digitalisation as a key element to unleash the full potential of a more efficient and integrated energy system; more power should be given to customers, and energy demand should be made more flexible; highlights that digitalisation brings challenges, in particular as regards privacy and cybersecurity of the energy sector; calls on the Commission to develop cyber security tools to avoid attacks on energy networks; reminds that the use of specific technologies such as ICT, modern sensors, AI, internet of things (IoT), big data, space-based systems and services can optimise energy consumption and lead to decarbonisation of the energy systems; welcomes the Commission’s announcement of a "Digitalisation of Energy Action plan" to develop a competitive market for digital energy services that ensures data privacy and sovereignty and supports investment in digital energy infrastructure;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recalls the role that green hydrogen can play in balancing grids by using any surplus renewable electricity production; to integrate additional renewable generation capacity and to provide flexibility in balancing grids by using any surplus renewable electricity production; highlights that optimising and prioritising the development of the power grid are no- regret options and are critical to produce renewable hydrogen;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls the importance of interconnectors and cooperation between network operators; welcomes the Commission’s announcement that the energy system integration strategy will seek greater synergies between the energy and transport infrastructure, as well as the need to achieve the 15% electricity interconnection target for 2030; calls on the Commission to analyse the progress towards this electricity interconnection target and to consider appropriate action, including in the context of the revision of the TEN-E Regulation; welcomes the establishment of regional coordination centres under Regulation (EU) 2019/943;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission to explore ways of further encouraging the development of a European market for demand-sidHighlights the advantages of a ‘multi-directional’ system in which consumers play an active role in energy supply; calls on the Commission to explore ways of further encouraging the development of a European market for demand-side flexibility and to explore the opportunities of common standards necessary to cost effectively secure that the end-use technology is enabled for end- use flexibility;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that the primary objective of Union action in the field of energy is to ensure the proper functioning of the market; calls on the Commission to propose the necessary legislative changes to ensure equal rights for all consumers and undistorted price signals reflecting the real cost of energy and its contribution to the decarbonisation of the economy; stresses the importance of guiding customers towards the most energy-efficient and cheapest decarbonisation option, on the basis of prices that properly reflect all the costs of the energy carrier used; welcomes the initiative to revise Directive 2003/96/EC; calls on Member States to remove undue taxes and levies to ensure taxation is harmonised, to promote clean innovative technologies, and to ensure competitive energy costs in Europe; calls on Member States to work on phasing out all direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Is convinced of the need to encourage energy consumers to be more active; calls on the Commission to assess the remaining barriers to facilitate the development of renewable self- consumption, especially and renewable energy communities especially in particular those in low-income or vulnerable households and for industrial consumers;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Stresses that an integrated energy system shall ensure the accessibility of energy to all consumers, in particular those in low-income or vulnerable households;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21 b. Highlights the consumer empowerment potential in the integrated renewable energy systems to generate, consume, store, and sell energy; considers that it also provides opportunities for renewable energy communities for advancing energy efficiency at household level and helping fight energy poverty;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Points to the decline in the cost of renewable energy technologies, the potential of the digitalisation and emerging technologies in batteries, heat pumps, electric vehicles or hydrogen that offer the opportunity to accelerate the decarbonization of our economy; stresses the need to take advantage of decentralized renewable energies, and to integrate different energy carriers in an efficient way while avoiding pollution and biodiversity loss;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the importance of increasing the competitiveness of European technologies to ensure the autonomy of the Union in the strategic energy sector; calls on the Commission to support research and innovation through the various structural and sectoral funds; recalls the Union’s global leadership in satellite emission measurement technologies; welcomes the creation of the Just Transition Mechanism and the Just Transition Fund that will support territories, and decrease regional inequalities in Member States facing the biggest transition challenges;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Underlines the importance of research and innovation as a key enabler to create and exploit new synergies in the energy system;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes the initiatives undertaken for strategic value chains; calls for the establishment of an alliance for decarbonisedrenewable energy technologies; calls on the Commission to encourage the participation of SMEs in these alliances in order to involve more Member States;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Underlines that the energy system integration strategy is an opportunity to strengthen EU industrial leadership at a global level and the associated value chain of clean energy technologies; considers that the new industrial strategy should integrate the potential of the energy integration system;
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)
Paragraph 25 c (new)
25 c. Underlines the need to unlock investment in key sustainable clean technologies, and that European programmes and financing instruments such as Horizon Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility, InvestEU and the ETS Innovation Fund have a key role in fostering a more integrated energy system; deeply deplores the Council’s cuts affecting these instruments; welcomes the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) as important means to enhance investment in sustainable clean technologies; stresses that the EU sustainable finance taxonomy should guide investment in these activities to ensure they are in line with the climate neutrality target;