Power Statistics - 2010 Edition - Full Report - Eurelectric

Foreword
The electricity industry has been steadily reducing its carbon footprint in recent years. Whilst
a double-digit growth has been attained in terms of electricity production, the carbon dioxide
emissions in the EU-27 have roughly stabilised, which shows a clear decrease in the carbon content
of each kilowatt-hour of electricity supplied. This decrease is the result of large-scale introduction
of carbon-neutral generation capacity into the system as well as more advanced, clean technologies
for conventional plants.
I am happy to share with you Power Statistics 2010, the 38 th edition of the EURELECTRIC statistical
yearbook (formerly called EURPROG). Building on the expertise of our members, this report aims
to give a better understanding of the European electricity sector and its latest developments.
Beyond historical data, Power Statistics 2010 also delivers perspectives on 2020 and 2030 to show
the trends to carbon-neutral electricity.
An affordable, secure and sustainable supply of electricity is one of the cornerstones of modern
society. The electricity industry plays a key role in advancing towards a low-carbon economy
and society. Firstly, the industry is committed to decreasing its own emissions even further. With
the right economy-wide framework in place, EURELECTRIC’s objective is to achieve a 90% CO 2
emission reduction by 2050 over 2005 levels, as laid out in our Power Choices study. Secondly,
carbon-neutral electricity, by steadily increasing its share in the energy mix and especially
in applications such as transport and heating & cooling, will then provide the basis for carbon
neutrality of our societies at large. However, many challenges still lie ahead of us: the deployment
of all low-carbon technologies, the integration of electricity markets currently constrained by
national borders, a major paradigm shift towards the electrification of society, and finally the
right political framework, which depends on policymakers’ decisions and on the support of the
general public.
Power Statistics 2010 provides you with the latest available statistics. For us, primary and
independent data from the electricity industry constitute the very ingredient for decision-making:
a solid basis for assessing the current situation, as well as the way ahead.
Lars G. Josefsson
President of EURELECTRIC
Power Statistics – 2010 Edition – Full Report 3