EU should stop wasting solar energy, industry groups say

The European Union should take steps to stop wasting solar energy and curb negative prices to support investment. This was stated in a letter sent to European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson by 17 renewable energy organizations. Europe will produce a record amount of solar energy this summer, and countries dependent on coal, such as Poland and the Czech Republic, could shut down solar power plants when demand is low.

„Because of the reliance on so-called baseload power and the lack of flexibility in a clean energy system, high-emission coal is being burned – while clean, cheap solar energy is being wasted,“ says the letter, cited by Bloomberg.

Baseload is the minimum amount of electricity expected to be consumed continuously, and therefore needs to be supplied at all times.

The EU is seeking to rely more on renewable energy as it recovers from an energy crisis partly caused by the impact of Russian troops’ invasion of Ukraine. Part of the continent is also grappling with record summer heat, which has caused fires and increased the risk of drought. This has prompted officials to support lower use of fossil fuels.