Public funding grants parity to small businesses whose schemes help to build a low-carbon economy
With an estimated 150 million people affected by energy poverty in Europe, there is a danger that without concerted action further price hikes will hit consumers and businesses hard.
The EU’s plans to liberalise the energy market and create a more "competitive, secure and sustainable" sector through public funding or support know as state aid has all the right intentions in finding an answer to this grave situation. Yet recent EU guidelines on energy state aid fall short and are set to miss the opportunity to exploit the potential of local producers. Instead, the rules risk strengthening the position of large energy companies at the expense of small-scale renewable energy initiatives.