Following far-reaching policy initiatives by the European Union (EU) in 2009, electricity production from renewable energy sources is rapidly increasing as European countries are struggling to meet the targets of the European Renewable Energy Directive. Europe is vulnerable to externalities, such as the emergence of shale gas on the global energy market, which may fundamentally alter the basis for EU energy policy. Integration of renewables in European electrical power grids presents an urgent and multi-faceted challenge for policy-makers and sector stakeholders requiring coordinated measures for grid upgrades, development of grid codes and radical reform of electricity markets. Some European countries, e.g. Denmark, Germany and the UK, are in many respects frontrunners in starting the transition to a more sustainable energy system. Their experiences and examples of best practice provide important learning for other countries in Europe and the world.
