Progress in development of renewable electricity in Northern Europe in the context of the EU 2020 renewables target

The 20% targets set for Renewables at EU level were translated into national level targets in the 2009 Directive on Renewable Energy Sources (2009/28/EC). In turn, Member States were obliged to provide a detailed plan of their proposed pathway to the targets in the form of “National Renewable Energy Action Plans”, which were due to be submitted by end June 2010 (all plans finally received by early 2011). The plans contain detailed projections for renewable electricity, heating and cooling, and transport up to 2020. This article compares actual progress in the development of renewable electricity against the intentions set out in the plans for the years 2010 and 2011. The focus is upon EU Member States in the Northern European region - Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Furthermore, consideration is given to some of the specific national policies and conditions determining the level of progress against the plans to date.