The European Parliament’s Energy and Research Committee (ITRE) voted to allocate 6 billion Euros to clean energy research. This is nearly two-thirds of the entire energy research budget, of 80 billion Euros, to cover renewables, energy efficiency, smart grids, and storage.

“MEPs have understood how crucial wind energy and other renewables are to the EU’s economic growth, technology leadership, fighting climate change, and that sufficient R&D funding is essential to further their development in line with the EU’s climate and renewable energy priorities,” noted Vilma Radvilaite, Regulatory Affairs Advisor at the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

“With 75% of its energy funding going to renewables, energy efficiency, smart grid and storage technologies and an additional 15% going to the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, Horizon 2020 gives a real boost to green growth,” she added.

The ITRE Committee also made a specific commitment to the development of wind energy research with the agreement that they would create a separate budget line for wind energy and other Strategic Energy Technology Plan technologies. The Horizon 2020 R&D program is set to run between 2014-2020 but needs to be presented to the European Council for approval.