Sweden has thrown away the sacred renewables talisman and opened the escape valve from the Temple of WindySolar-Inc. They’ve done the obvious thing anyone worried about CO2 would have done in 1992 — aimed for nuclear.
They have switched their 100% “renewables” target by 2045 to a 100% fossil-free target. It’s still a pagan antipathy of the sixth element of the periodic table. But at least it’s a more pragmatic version.
Sweden topped the EU list for renewables share of energy in the last tally — albeit with mostly biomass and hydropower. It was a star of the renewables set — number 1 on the Climate Council list of the “11 countries leading the way“. Yet here they are, effectively giving up on the unreliable generators. Surely this must hurt?
The team at NetZeroWatch applauds the Swedish shift, and suggests the UK follow.
Sweden adopts new fossil-free target, making way for nuclear
Florence Jones, Power Technology
Sweden’s parliament adopted a change to its energy targets on Tuesday, which will see it become 100% fossil fuel-free by 2045.
The change means that nuclear generation can count towards the government’s energy targets. Sweden’s Government voted to phase out nuclear power 40 years ago, but in June 2010, parliament voted to repeal the policy. The government elected last year seeks to promote nuclear power.
Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson said in parliament, “We need more electricity production, we need clean electricity and we need a stable energy system.” State-owned utility Vattenfall is looking at building at least two small modular reactors and at extending the life of the country’s existing reactors.
It’s not such a big shift for Sweden. Thirty years ago, their electricity was half hydro and half nuclear, and this is just a return to that after the intrusion of some wind and bioenergy.
This new target is just for fossil-free electricity, not total “fossil free” energy use. Sweden still gets about 30% of all its energy from coal, oil, and gas, and that is not about to change.
The new moderate right Swedish government was elected last September, and one of the first things it did was cut EV subsidies “with immediate effect”.
As Euractiv notes, the Swedish government has also cut requirements for carbon-neutral fuels in cars and also stood up for countries wanting to keep their coal plants on standby.
The coalition plans to cut the bio-fuel mix in petrol and diesel, leading to bigger CO2 emissions, a move that could mean Sweden misses 2030 emissions goals.
Proposals by Sweden to allow countries to prolong subsidies for standby coal power plants have also been met with concern in the EU, while Stockholm also wanted Brussels to water down a landmark law to restore deteriorating natural habitats.
For all intents and purposes, this is what a government would do if it didn’t believe the climate dogma but didn’t want to rock the global boat.
This article originally appeared at JoNova