Atividade Parlamentar EUSEW 2011 - Maria da Graça Carvalho says microgeneration is the future of Europe's Energy needs

Micropower Europe's 'Mass Market Microgeneration Empowering European Citizens' event was one of the events of European Sustainable Energy Week 2011. Co-Hosted by Maria da Graça Carvalho MEP, Judith Merkies MEP, and Charles Bradshaw-Smith the event was orchestrated to stimulate discussion on the issues facing this nascent microgeneration industry.

It featured keynote speeches from a panel of industry experts and EU officials. It stimulated lively, interactive debate about the possibilities of a mass market for microgeneration and the current barriers preventing this becoming a reality.

Maria da Graça Carvalho MEP commented "Microgeneration will undoubtedly be a key, expanding sector in the future, a cornerstone in questions of energy security and in the fight against climate change." See speech here. 

All parties where in agreement about the value of microgeneration and the need for it to be part of the EU energy policy mix. It was acknowledged that these technologies are already working, efficient and available in the market. The next stage is to allow for the wider rollout of the available technologies and make them accessible to all EU homeowners. 

This will strengthen the EU's economy and infrastructure whilst increasing the competitiveness of EU products that are reaping the benefits of economies of scale.  De-centralised generation carries with it infrastructure benefits far beyond the reach of large scale power plants.

Microgeneration will actually serve to balance grid supplies by enabling energy suppliers to reduce consumption or increase decentralised generation at times of peak demand and/or restricted large-scale generation.

This event was the launch platform for Micropower Europe's policy survey call for evidence on all those involved in the sector to complete their recently launched EU Microgeneration policy survey. In conjunction with this MPE released an interim report 'Barriers to the harmonisation of the European Microgeneration Industry'. (See annexes)

• Micropower Europe is a member-funded organisation that advocates policy and regulatory initiatives that will lead to mass uptake of Microgeneration products among European citizens.
• The event provided a launch platform for Micropower Europe's Interim Report, 'Barriers to the harmonisation of the European Microgeneration Industry'