France Sets Ambitious Renewable Energy Targets

[jpak]

http://www.renewableaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50971

Wind and solar power are at the heart of a big new push by the French government to increase the renewable share of the country's total energy consumption from 6.7 percent in 2004 to 20 percent by 2020.

The government has set the target of raising its installed capacity for wind power from 810 megawatts (MW) in 2006 to 25,000 MW by 2020. Also, installed capacity for photovoltaic (PV) power is to increase from 32.7 MW in 2006 — about 100 times less than Germany — to 3,000 MW by 2020.

In addition, 5 million solar thermal units are to be installed in buildings by 2020, 80 percent of these in homes.

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He said the plan would change the structure of France's primary energy consumption — 275 million TOE (tons of oil equivalent) in 2006 — so that 20 percent would come from renewables, 25 percent from nuclear and 55 percent from fossil fuels by 2020, saving 20 million tons of oil.

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[xchrom]

1. the country who can really dedicate it's self to this goal will get

a terrific grip on the industry and technology union of the future.