European Grid Declaration on Electricity Network Development and Nature Conservation

Under the guidance of RGI, a coalition of Europe’s 29 largest environmental NGOs and grid operators pledged to work in partnership to ensure that the goals of grid modernisation and environmental protection can be achieved side by side. In November 2011 the ‘European Grid Declaration on Electricity Network Development and Nature Conservation’ was publicly signed.

In October 2011, the European Commission put forward a draft law making it easier to build and finance cross-border power lines, which are essential to making Europe’s energy system greener.

This joint declaration supports Europe’s ambition to boost renewable electricity and cut carbon emissions. At the same time, it aims to strengthen the coalition of stakeholders supporting grid expansion to integrate renewables and raise public awareness of this need. It also lays the ground for cooperation on specific pilot projects to develop best practice and improve the implementation of grid development in line with nature conservation objectives.

Grid operators commit to helping meet Europe’s objectives to protect nature, for example by ensuring that risks to birds from power lines are minimised. At the same time, the NGOs commit to supporting crucial grid development for the integration of renewables from larger centralised and smaller localised generation sources.

This declaration shows that Europe’s energy and environmental commitments don’t need to be in conflict – we can build grids fast for renewables and also protect nature. We need new alliances across society to acknowledge the challenges and to find acceptable solutions. We invite the Commission to use this declaration as a first building block for European guidelines on grid expansion and nature protection.