Building Europe's Renewable Energy Future

Finding Suitable Land

A key barrier to rapidly deploying renewables is identifying enough suitable land that doesn't unduly harm the nature and communities in their path. Fortunately, if we plan the expansion of renewable energy carefully, we can benefit both nature and people in the long-term.

The Opportunity: Go Smart To Go Fast

By bringing clarity, confidence, and certainty to the renewable development process, we are confident that we can accelerate renewable deployment and achieve key policy goals.

From our experience in the U.S. and India, we know that smart siting reduces costs, shortens permitting, positively impacts natural and cultural resources, and supports equity – enabling the achievement of multiple goals at once.

To make smart siting a reality, we regularly collaborate with policymakers, local communities, scientific institutions, and key industry actors to ensure the right decisions are taken in Europe to provide best practices for the global roll-out of renewables.

This way, we aim to find the best places for renewable energy and advance policy and markets to support implementation while driving benefits for communities in Europe and beyond.

In Europe, we are making the case for smart renewables deployment in a few different ways:

1. Mapping a renewable energy future in Southeast Europe

We believe that a brighter future is possible in Serbia, where we've pinpointed 100 locations where solar energy could be developed to meet 10% of household energy consumption while minimizing impact to nature and communities. Meanwhile in Croatia, we worked with Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute to identify enough low-impact land to meet half of the country's total national 2030 target for solar and wind power from one county alone.

Our pilot study in Nikšić, Montenegro demonstrated that the county's low-conflict solar and wind potential could easily replace the country's biggest coal plant. The full study is available in English and Montengrin. We are now conducting national studies in Croatia and Montenegro to help unlock even more renewable potential for the region. 

2. The potential for brownfields and built-up areas 

In North Macedonia, with partners the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Ekosvest, we have identified twice the land needed to meet the country’s electricity demand by siting renewable installations on brownfields, degraded, and converted lands. In Croatia and Slovenia, we worked with partners on the Solar Adria project to pilot the mapping of rooftop solar photovoltaic systems to demonstrate the potential of utilizing pre-existing structures, such as industrial and residential rooftops, for renewable energy production. 

3. Engaging with industry

Through our partnership with Eurelectric, the pan-European association for the electricity industry, we are advocating for an integrated approach to the deployment of renewables and the protection of biodiversity, in support of policy objectives set out in REPowerEU and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. We work closely with them to help advance shared policy goals, illustrating how the electricity industry can support the natural world and regenerate biodiversity through integrated renewable energy projects, as demonstrated in the Power Plant initiative. 

4. Recommendations for policymakers

Policy is an important tool to create the regulatory environment and incentives needed to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy— contributing to decarbonising the energy system and reducing emissions—while delivering benefits for nature and communities. Based on our leading principles and scientific knowledge, The Nature Conservancy has developed recommendations for EU and UK policy-makers that are adapted to the existing policy context, with the aim of reducing barriers to renewable energy deployment and achieving a nature-positive energy transition.

Together with other NGOs, TNC succeeded in advocating for a package of detailed guidance from the European Commission to help EU countries designate Renewable Acceleration Areas and design renewable energy auctions to ensure harmony with nature and communities.