John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister met Energy Commissioner Piebalgs on the occasion of his recent visit here. The Commissioner outlined the main priority areas of the Commission's Green Paper, European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy. He emphasised the need for Europe to respond more cohesively to the many challenges facing it in the energy area. Commissioner Piebalgs also gave an update on discussions with Russia, particularly in the context of the current Russian presidency of the G8. He welcomed the Minister's intention to publish a national energy review. He underlined the Commission's strong commitment to ensuring completion of the internal energy market.

The Minister underlined to the Commissioner the importance of energy infrastructure projects for a geographically peripheral country such as Ireland and the difficulties inherent in attracting market interest in financing these projects. In that context, the Minister looked forward to further debate on how the Commission sees the major investment projects in interconnection, network and storage facilities being delivered and funded, including the handling of potential state aid issues, on a Europe-wide basis. During the Minister's recent visit to California, he met the special adviser to the Californian governor. These discussions ranged across security of energy supply, the operation of California's wholesale electricity market, energy efficiency measures to curb demand, the potential for wave and tidal power and the future potential of the hydrogen economy.