In 2016, Professor Rafael Leal-Arcas was awarded a €14-million research grant as part of a consortium on smart grids funded by the EU Commission’s Horizon 2020. The results of this ongoing project called WiseGRID are several scientific publications.
In 2016, Professor Rafael Leal-Arcas was awarded a €14-million research grant as part of a consortium on smart grids funded by the EU Commission’s Horizon 2020. The results of this ongoing project called WiseGRID are several scientific publications. One of them is: R. Leal-Arcas, M. Peykova, V. Nalule, and P. Kara, “Decarbonizing the energy sector,” Michigan State Journal of Animal and Natural Resource Law, Vol. XV, pp. 173-271, 2019
The publication is available here.
Abstract
The European Union (EU) is working on several key goals related to energy, including greater energy efficiency, greater use of renewable energy, and increased energy security across the EU. Decarbonization encompasses all of these goals, and different EU member states are at different stages when it comes to progress on decarbonization. This article examines progress in four EU countries (Bulgaria, Poland, France, and Finland) and identifies specific measures being taken in this regard. From promoting electric vehicles to deploying smart grids and smart meters, new projects and initiatives are underway. However, each country has its own particular set of barriers and opportunities when it comes to decarbonizing the energy sector, related to financing, regulation, technology, and other factors. The article examines these factors as well as success factors and models for replication across the EU. Furthermore, it looks at the role of regulation and how it can be adapted to create conditions more conducive to effective and sustainable decarbonization.