More than 80% of energy sector senior executives are convinced that, by 2030, wind, biomass and solar energy will no longer need subsidies to be competitive. This is the finding of a survey of 72 power and utility company executives in 43 countries, carried out by PwC ⁽¹⁾.

The report estimates that renewable sources will account for 43% of electricity generation in 2030, but this will not be enough to limit global warming to 2°C.

In terms of policy, the survey identifies three priority issues: a regulatory environment that encourages investments in networks (80% of those surveyed), removal of bottlenecks in strategic infrastructure planning (76%) and increased interconnection between different electricity systems (76%).

On the other hand, barely one third of those surveyed see the unbundling of distribution networks or further liberalisation of the sector as priorities.

Winfried Hoffmann, president of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), confirmed the sector’s growth, announcing, on 9 May, that it accounted for 2% of EU electricity demand in 2011. “Public support has been crucial to permit photovoltaic to develop, as it was in the past for the development of other sources like fossil or nuclear energy. The photovoltaic industry now has to demonstrate that it has matured,” he stated during his presentation of projections for the sector to 2016 ⁽²⁾.

⁽¹⁾ The survey is available at www.pwc.be/en/publications/2012/power-utilities-ceo-survey.jhtml
⁽²⁾ See www.epia.org/index.php?id=1134