A total of 8,484 MW wind power capacity was installed in the EU in 2008. This puts wind energy ahead of any other power technology for the first time. 36% of all new electricity producing capacity installed in the EU in 2008 was wind energy followed by natural gas (6,932 MW – 29%), oil (2,495 MW – 10%), coal (762 MW – 3%) and hydro (473 MW – 2%).
At the end of 2008, there were 65 GW of wind power capacity installed in the EU-27 producing 142 TWh hours of electricity, and meeting 4.2% of EU electricity demand. A binding target of 20% renewable energy has been set for the EU to achieve by 2020, which would mean approximately 35% of electricity coming from renewables by then up from 16% in 2006.
New power capacity installed in 2008 Source: EWEA and Platts Power Vision

Key objectives

• To meet the new EWEA target by 2020 it is important that the Member States implement the Renewable Energy Directive and begin working towards their 2020 renewable targets in a timely fashion. They must submit ambitious National Action Plans that allow them to reach or surpass their interim trajectories and meet their
  final target.
• Ensure Member States implement the Renewable Energy Directive and begin working towards their 2020 renewables targets in a timely fashion. They must submit ambitious National Action Plans that allow them to reach or surpass their interim trajectories and meet their final target.
• Ensure that the European Commission’s “Blueprint for a North Sea offshore grid” becomes, together with the Mediterranean Ring and the Baltic Interconnection project, one of the building blocks of a future European powergrid.
• Ensure grid infrastructure is updated and interconnectors are improved, in order to incorporate large amounts of offshore wind energy into the electricity grid, while improving the functioning of the Internal Energy Market.
• Ensure that the EU creates a properly functioning and competitive internal electricity market, including introducing full ownership unbundling of vertically integrated electricity companies.

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