The EU Energy and Climate Package Interactions between EU Policies and Targets and Implications for CO 2 Price Uncertainty David Harrison, Jr., PhD Senior Vice President Per Klevnäs Consultant Eighth Annual Workshop on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading sponsored by IEA, EPRI and IETA Paris, 23 September 2008
Agenda Overview of the EU Energy and Climate Package Policy instruments for the attainment of targets Interactions and market impacts of policies Impacts of uncertainty of meeting targets Implications for market participants Concluding remarks 1
20/20/20 Targets for EU Climate Policy 1. CO 2 : 20% reduction relative to 1990 30% with international agreement 2. Renewables: 20% of total energy consumption implying some 40% of electricity production 3. Energy Efficiency: 20% reduction in energy consumption relative to business as usual Targets seem motivated mainly by climate change concerns Other objectives include energy security 2
Mix of Policies and Approaches is in Place to Achieve Targets CO 2 reductions mainly through proposed reformed EU ETS Aim of predictability and stable CO 2 price through EU-wide and longterm cap Increased scope, harmonisation, and elimination of distortions Renewable Energy through binding national targets and Member State policies Patchy policy for transport and heat means focus on electricity Tradable green certificates (PL, SE, BE, IT, UK, etc.) and feed-in tariffs (DK, NO, DE, FR, IR, etc.) Potential EU-wide trade in certificates / guarantees of origin but feasibility and relevance not clear (everyone s target is ambitious) 3
Mix of Policies and Approaches is in Place to Achieve Targets Energy efficiency through indicative national targets and action plans No agreement on EU-wide policy but interest in tradable white certificates (FR, IT, UK, etc.) Key role in policy mix but unclear evidence for low-cost savings and checkered policy history Patchwork of other policy indicate little consensus on market-based approach CHP, CO 2 standards for cars, heat sector renewables, biofuels for transport, microgeneration, support for nuclear, etc. Multiple policies are in place Interactions between policies add further complexity 4
Policy Interactions: Renewables and Energy Efficiency Affect the EU ETS Energy efficiency policy Reduced energy consumption Lower BAU CO 2 emissions EU ETS Renewables policy Lower fossil fuel burn 5
Impact of RE/EE on CO 2 (EUA) Market Marginal cost / EUA price ( /tco 2 ) Marginal abatement cost curve EUA price EUA price (RES/EE) Lower CO 2 price with RES/EE policy Emissions cap Emissions with RES/EE BAU Emissions CO 2 emissions (tco 2 ) RE/EE lowers emissions and cost of meeting given emissions cap EUA price depends on success of renewables and EE policy 6
Policy Interactions Could Be Quantitatively Significant 4,500 EU 27 CO 2 emissions (MtCO 2 ) 4,250 BAU forecast 4,000 3,750 3,500 3,250 3,000 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Sources: Eurostat, EC Impact assessment for Renewable Energy Roadmap SEC(2006) 1719, DG TREN Scenarios on renewables and energy efficiency PRIMES forecast CO 2 2020 target Green-X forecast Commission modelling suggests EU 2020 CO 2 target could be met entirely through renewables and energy efficiency Implication / unintended consequence: No need for CO 2 price? 7
But... Achieving the Targets Looks a Tall Order 4,500 DG TREN Baseline 4,000 3,500 3,000 2020 target 2,500 2,000 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 EU27 CO 2 emissions (MtCO 2 ) EU27 Renewable energy (total, Mtoe) 2020 target DG TREN Baseline Current trend 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2,200 2,000 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0 EU27 Energy Consumption (Mtoe) DG TREN Baseline 2020 target 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 EU27 Renewable electricity (TWh) 2020 target DG TREN Baseline Current trend 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Sources: Eurostat, European Environment Agency, DG TREN, IEA and NERA calculations 8
Attainment of Past Targets Is Proving Elusive 2010 Target EU27 Renewable electricity (TWh) 2010 Target EU27 Renewable energy (TWh) 25% 14% 20% 12% 10% 15% 8% 10% 6% 5% 4% 2% 0% 0% 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 9
Additional Reasons Attainment of Targets Looks Uncertain Much of past emissions reductions have been a cheap ride (e.g., dash for gas ), but costs are increasing Hope of low or even negative-cost reductions through energy efficiency may prove unrealistic Resigned acceptance of high costs not universal in the EU Challenges to Phase II NAPs (modest cuts only), Hungarian proposal for EU ETS, Polish proposal for auctioning 10
Additional Reasons Attainment of Targets Looks Uncertain (contd.) Revision of transport renewables targets likely given controversy over biofuels Unease about industrial competitiveness implications of continued EU unilateral approach Unclear consumer / voter tolerance of higher energy prices cf. recent commodity price increases Unclear how legally binding targets can be enforced on EU level (cf. budgetary rules) Despite strong apparent current commitment, the attainment of the 20/20/20 targets is highly uncertain 11
Interactions and Uncertain Attainment of Targets Lead to Uncertain CO 2 Price Marginal cost / EUA price ( /tco 2 ) Marginal abatement cost curve High price Low price Emissions cap Possible emissions with RE/EE policy Possible CO 2 prices with RE/EE policy BAU Emissions CO 2 emissions (tco 2 ) Uncertain attainment of RE/EE targets leads to uncertain EUA prices Note: Price uncertainty greater with firm CO 2 cap 12
Implications: Long-Term CO 2 Price Certainty May Be Elusive Major apparent aim of recent (Jan 2008) EC proposals to reform EU ETS is to increase price EUA certainty Longer phases, set cap until 2020 Introduce full banking and some borrowing Lay out rules for CDM/JI or similar credits Pre-defined allocation schedule until 2020 20/20/20 interactions may undermine these efforts: Modelling suggests very low CO 2 prices possible if RE/EE targets were met Current trends, past performance, high cost suggest targets may not be met but gulf between targets and results highly uncertain Wide range of CO 2 prices possible under 20/20/20 approach 13
Implications: Challenges for Current Assets and for Investment Impacts on asset values, especially coal Renewables and energy efficiency imply shrinking market for conventional generation but by how much? Uncertain CO 2 price leads to uncertain generation and net revenues Caveat investor Significant new capacity required in EU, but unclear how much will be met by renewables Planning for new fossil generation? Amount? Technology? Auxiliary market effects also complicated by interactions E.g., competition for biomass resource, interaction with fuel prices 14
Concluding Remarks Interactions of renewables/energy efficiency targets and policies with EU ETS risk compromising objective of CO 2 price stability Attainment of RE/EE targets highly uncertain, leading to CO 2 price uncertainty Effects in other direction add further complications level of CO 2 prices influences attainment of RE and EE goals General lesson: interactions of market-based and command-and-control approaches can yield unexpected results Relevant to a number of current policy proposals (EU, California, etc.) Further analysis in NERA study of policy interactions http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/pdf/ec_green_final_report051117.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/pdf/ec_green_summary_report051117.pdf 15
Contact Us David Harrison, Jr., PhD Senior Vice President Boston +1 617 621 2612 david.harrison@nera.com Per Klevnäs Consultant London +44 20 7659 8848 per.klevnas@nera.com Copyright 2008 NERA UK Limited All rights reserved.