Media Coverage
Source: Law360
Media Coverage
01.24.14
The European Commission unveiled a climate proposal that calls for an EU-wide target of a 40 percent carbon pollution reduction from 1990 levels by 2030. However, it is unclear whether the target is binding with penalties or aspirational.
“If you’re looking at overall development, mandates are stronger than goals,” said Michael Hindus, an energy partner based in Pillsbury’s San Francisco and Washington, D.C. offices. “An overall EU mandate would have attempted to put some order on that, but they’re not willing to do that. They haven’t really grappled with the cost of that mandate.”
Hindus cautioned that national splits on renewable policies could throw a wrench into the development of large-scale, cross-border projects. “In the EU, transmission infrastructure development is vital to large, international renewable energy projects. If it turns out that countries that are adjacent to each other have contrasting policies, it might be difficult to develop that transmission, and since that's key for large-scale projects, building those projects may be harder.”