New Renewables Grid Initiative touts for more members

The newly formed European Renewables Grid Initiative has confirmed it is looking to recruit further members from across the continent's energy sector as it seeks to bolster its lobbying efforts.

The group was formally launched last week with a goal of promoting the adoption of regulations and policies to support the development of a pan-European super-smart grid, capable of transmitting renewable energy from remote locations such as offshore wind farms and North African solar farms, and automatically managing energy generated from distributed micro-generation technologies.

Lucile Barras, project manager at German thinktank Thema1, said that the group was looking to sign up more companies to join the founding members: WWF and NGO group Germanwatch, and grid operators Vattenfall Europe Transmission and Tennet.

"We are absolutely looking to expand the group and the initiative is open to all transmission operators, energy suppliers, renewable energy producer and green NGOs," she said.

Barras added that the goal of the new group was to lobby at a national and EU level for the wider adoption of the policy and legislative framework that will be needed to support the upgrading and expansion of existing transmission lines and the development of a pan-European super-grid.

The new group was welcomed by Antonella Battaglini, senior scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and a leading expert in grid technologies, who argued that the roll out of a cross-border energy grid will be essential if the EU is to meet its long-term emission reduction targets.

"A clear framework for tailored investments in grid expansion will enable simultaneously large renewable expansion projects, which substantially contribute to the 2020 and 2050 targets, while stimulating the economy," she said.