Nevertheless, Abu Dhabi is in many ways the right place to discuss our current and future reliance on energy, precisely because the Arabian Gulf countries need to “go green” as much if not more than other parts of the world. Indeed, the UAE’s carbon emissions ranking was not a dirty secret at the summit and was openly admitted. As Rob Bradley, Senior Advisor at the UAE’s Directorate of Energy & Climate Change, remarked, the Emirates “is the last place on earth you’d think of renewable energy, but it is at the epicenter of a renewable revolution.”

Solar Plant in Masdar City

So why is the UAE throwing its political will and money behind renewable energies? The reasons are necessity and then there is business and brand image. Partly, there is the need to appear as if the UAE is doing something to lower its carbon footprint internationally, as well as to stay in the energy business in the future by diversifying into alternative energies – a market now worth $1 trillion, according to the UN. Far more pressing is the need to reduce rampant domestic energy consumption that has resulted in power cuts during the hot summer months and bitten into export revenues. Being more energy efficient, the UAE can bolster hydrocarbon export revenues, thus enabling the bank rolling of high-profile projects the country has become renowned for over the past decade, such as the Bourj Khalifa, a new Guggenheim, a new Louvre Museum… There are therefore a bundle of motivations for the UAE to “go green,” even though it is a bouquet with a few fake flowers in the arrangement.

If we discount the rather extreme idea of de-populating the whole area, the UAE, like the rest of the Gulf, has only one choice to be sustainable in the long-term by investing in renewable energies and adopting environmentally friendly technologies. Indeed, an exodus would occur if the air-con was ever turned off, or if sea levels rise 1 percent due to global warming, which would submerge 1,155 square kilometers of the UAE’s coastline. For an insight into Saudi Arabia’s energy woes, not too different from the Emirates’, read: Burning Oil to Keep Cool, The Hidden Energy Crisis in Saudi Arabia (December 2011).

Excellent Public Relations Exercise

Hosting WFES and the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) are strategic moves for the UAE to polish its image by supporting the alternative energy movement. Moreover, by having the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, the South Korean Prime Minister and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon give the opening speeches, Abu Dhabi garnered a lot of press coverage. Yet, such leaders and functionaries, including the Indian Minister of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), obviously needed to be there. As Robert Swan, of Voyage for Cleaner Energy, pointed out with regard to the global roll-out of alternative energies: “if you forget India and China (with a collective population of some 2.5 billion) it doesn’t matter what the rest of us do.”

Regardless of the largest emerging economies, the UAE is trying to put its money where its mouth is. Abu Dhabi aims to have 7 percent of its energy from renewables by 2020, including two 100 megawatt (MW) solar power plants and a 28 MW wind plant. Neighboring emirate Dubai is to have 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar power by 2030. While such figures will not lower energy usage by much – “it is peanuts compared to overall energy needs,” as one Total manager said – it is a big step. However, what is far more significant is that 25 percent, or 5.6 GW, of the UAE’s electricity will come from nuclear power.

With an energy mix of hydrocarbons and alternatives being the over-riding mantra at the summit – until the world can move towards totally renewable energy – nuclear power (posited as a clean and green energy source), was favored strongly. Nuclear power’s inclusion was unfortunate, firstly because of the potential for another environmental disaster like Fukushima, Japan, last year; and secondly, due to the high carbon footprint that occurs during the construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs) and the subsequent storage of nuclear material. The UAE, however, is to build four NPPS worth $20 billion, in conjunction with the South Koreans, with the ground-breaking ceremony of the Braka NPP that was held last year, just three days after the Fukushima disaster.

Masdar City of the Future

The UAE has also invested some $515 million in venture capital clean-technology funds. The largest and most ambitious, since it was announced in 2006, has been the Masdar City project in Abu Dhabi, which aims to be the first zero-carbon city of 40,000 people. The final completion date for the opening of Masdar City may be delayed to between 2021 and 2025 due to budget cuts from the initial $22 billion to $16 billion. From an environmental perspective, the choice of location could be viewed rather skeptically as it is next to the Abu Dhabi International Airport – an urban planner at Masdar said they had no choice as to the location since the land parceled out by the royal family. Furthermore, at the site of Masdar City, a researcher admitted that the location was not ideal for his photo-voltaic research due to its proximity to the sea, but added that this presented a challenge that needs to be overcome by developing alternative energies suitable to the area.

Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) in Masdar Institute

Progressive initiatives are indeed underway at the Masdar Institute for Science and Technology which opened last year and the material recycling center for 98.9 percent of the waste from the construction process. The four-seater and driver-less electric Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system, which runs for a few hundred meters around the basement of the Masdar Institute, was an interesting development as the future city will be car-free. For now, the magnetic vehicle is showcased to the public and the media as an example of what the future may look like. Other cars are still needed to get to Masdar some 20 minutes drive from central Abu Dhabi, and will be when the city is finished. While Masdar City has its pros and cons, the initiative is having a domino-effect on the rest of the Gulf to go green.

While the UN and politicians spoke of goals and initiatives, of energy and the need for renewables, other endeavors stood out: Bertrand Piccard of Solar Impulse bounced around the stage relating how, for the first time, a plane had flown for 24 hours on solar power. At the closing session, Robert Swan, who has walked to both the north and south poles and witnessed the rapid melting of the polar ice caps, brushed aside cynicism about how viable sustainable and green energy will be in the future, especially in a place like Abu Dhabi, and concluded: “No one was ever inspired by negativity [...] the greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”

This exponential growth of Jewish settlements takes place mostly in Area C of the West Bank. There are now twice as many illegal Jews settlers in Area C as there are Palestinians, who have diminished in numbers due to lack of access to water, building permits, and the occupation.

Area C comprises 62% of the West Bank and is under full Israeli security control, as stipulated in the Oslo Accords, signed between the Palestinians and Israel in 1993 and ratified in 1995 to include further Israeli security measures around Jericho and in the Jordan Valley.

Why former PLO Chairman Arafat signed away what remained of Palestine at Oslo is another painful question altogether for the Palestinians, but the evidence nearly 20 years later is irrefutable: Israel is carrying out a systematic, and not so subtle, colonization of Palestine.

Everyone knows this now. It’s no secret to any visitor and Europeans are well-placed to see and experience the nitty-gritty details of the Israeli neo-colonial machine. And for those who still believe in a peace settlement, their voices are becoming increasingly critical and unspoken.

This was exemplified in the recent report by the EU Heads of Mission (HoMs) on Area C and Palestinian State-Building, leaked in Brussels early this month, but published in July 2011. To read a full version of the report, visit the Council for European Palestinian Relations (CEPR).

Not since the UN Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process, Alvaro de Soto’s “end of mission report” in May 2007 has there been such explosive material to condemn the illegal Israeli military occupation and militarized Jewish colonization of Palestinian territory.

Again, the numbers say it all: when the Israeli occupation began in 1967, there were about 250,000 Palestinians in Area C while now there are a little over 50,000. Palestinian construction is prohibited in around 70% of Area C according to the Israeli Civil Administration (CA).

Then there are the Israeli-designated “nature reserves”, which occupy about 10% of the West Bank. Half is this 10% for the preservation of wildlife and animals overlaps rather inconspicuously with “closed military training zones” for the perpetuation of the Israeli occupation.

If the trend is not clear by now, here is another basic statistic: a total of 45 cisterns and rainwater structures in Area C of the West Bank have been demolished by the Israeli authorities since 2010, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Why would Israel intentionally destroy Palestinian cisterns? France figured that one out now. In an official report on “The Geopolitics of Water”, published in December 2011, the French Parliament calls Israel’s exploitation of Palestinian water resources, a “new apartheid”.

What is more revealing still: the 450,000 illegal Jewish settlers on Palestinian land use more water than the 2.3 million Palestinians in the West Bank. Anyone who has seen the sprinkling system of the green-gardened hill-top Jewish fortresses will not be entirely surprised.

Furthermore, the Palestinians have no access to the Jordan River. This severely depleted river is exploited by Israel (60%) and by neighboring Arab countries (40%), according to the French report – although given the sickly status of the river those percentages hardly seem to matter.

So we have new statistics and new statements, but the solution for peace between Israelis and Palestinians continues to stagnate. The peace process has been on pause for decades but now the perception of who is to blame and what real intentions are is changing.

This shift in perception is important. Europe is becoming more vociferous in its ‘megaphone diplomacy’ and may, one hopes, be moving away from its ‘constructive ambiguity’. Nowhere is this more poignant than in the recent reports issued by France and the EU.

There is a tremendous opportunity perceived by more and more European politicians now for better and more constructive relations with a rapidly changing Arab world. This opportunity is based on the promotion of economic cooperation, popular representation and social diversity – much like the European project.

The geographic proximity between Europe and the Arab world is undeniable, particularly around the Mediterranean. While Israel occupies Palestine, Europe is slowly awakening to new realities and the great potential for trade, tourism and technology.

In dire financial straits, Europe needs to recover economically by building stronger ties with its neighbors; and the best path to improving relations with the Arab world at large is to endorse the long overdue Palestinian right to self-determination.

Stuart Reigeluth and Dimitris Bouris work for the Council for European Palestinian Relations (CEPR) in Brussels and London. This article was first published in Gulf News and re-published in the EUobserver on January 25, 2012.

The UfM was established in 2008, but the secretariat, which is mandated to do the technical work, only started working in January 2011, while our project guidelines were approved just in April 2011. This means that we are a very new organization, but we have had to prove immediately our worth as a technical organization by identifying regional, sub-regional or transnational projects to work on.

Rafiq Husseini, UfM Deputy Secretary General

Our task is to identify, design – or sometimes redesign – the projects that promoters submit, and develop them into regional or sub-regional projects. This is where we have an important overview role to play, bringing together different promoters who are working on the same topics and amalgamating their ideas. This is especially relevant because many countries in the region face similar problems.

Once a project is formulated, we also help the promoters to seek funding. In this respect, we also aim to reach out to parties beyond Europe – in the Arab world for example. We believe these parties should also become more involved in projects in Arab countries around the Mediterranean.

Our work is challenging on many levels. Firstly, it is difficult to find regional projects, as countries tend to submit national projects. We can take on national projects if they are part of a regional initiative accepted by the 43 UfM countries. The only initiative of this type to date is Horizon 2020, which focuses on the de-pollution of the Mediterranean. Another impediment is that the UfM is not a funding agency as such, and we therefore have no budget to support projects. That means we have to work on developing strategies and initiatives in order to have frameworks within which we can develop and endorse a variety of projects. We have to adopt or adapt already existing strategies and initiatives in the domain of climate change, marine biodiversity and the environment.

The projects we are currently working on fall into different categories. The first UfM-endorsed project is infrastructural: the Gaza desalination project. While it is not a regional or even transnational project, it does have far-reaching regional implications. Everyone is aware of this project’s humanitarian, developmental and political importance and the 43 countries endorsed it without much hesitation. It is a big project of more than €350m that involves not only desalination but also a north-south water carrier in Gaza. We are now moving towards seeking funding for this project for which we will turn to the countries who pledged money for the reconstruction of Gaza at the Sharm El-Sheikh Conference in March 2009. The Arab countries pledged €1.6bn as did Europe and Western countries. However, the vast majority of the money that was pledged at the time has still not been allocated.

Another example of an infrastructural project that we would like to implement involves the use of treated wastewater to create a green belt around Mediterranean cities threatened by desertification. This project was submitted by Egypt, but we believe it could also be applicable in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria and we are speaking to the different parties.

In a different category, we have a project focusing on the strengthening of information systems. We received three projects on this topic and have agreed to amalgamate the proposals to create a single project for the creation of a shared regional database. Strengthening national information systems is the first priority, as you can’t share information regionally before national data are complete and up to date.

A third type of project concerns capacity building through the strengthening of NGO networks and NGO capacity in southern and eastern countries. Along with the democratization processes we are witnessing in these countries, there is a mushrooming of the NGO sector in many fields, also in the field of water and environment. We want to support the creation of a consortium and develop the capacity of NGOs in those countries, both through national and regional networks.

We also have study projects: for example a project submitted by Albania for the study of the Shkumbini River Basin. Jordan has also submitted a project for the study of the Jordan and Yarmouk basins. We are keen to promote these types of study projects that can form the first step towards shared river basin management.

Finally the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and GWP Med are preparing to submit a proposal to study water governance in different countries. Such a study was already carried out in OECD countries, but we now want to extend it to other countries in the region, in order to improve governance and thus, in the longer term, the protection and preservation of water resources.

All these projects are at different stages in the pipeline: from the Gaza project, which has already been approved and labeled, to the Jordan River Basin Project, which still requires a lot of work.

What is the timeframe for these projects?

We would prefer for the timeframe to be short, but many of these projects are not straightforward: whether it is the creation of information systems, the study of shared river basins or governance – they all have political connotations. Our job is to try to smooth over political impediments so that the project can be implemented.

The Mediterranean is one of the most arid regions in the world, but there are differences in the degree of aridity around the sea and the ability to cope with this aridity. How do you think the water-related problems in the region should be addressed?

I think the Mediterranean region faces two distinct problems. In the south aridity is a growing problem, while the north is increasingly facing problems of flooding, which generate economic and other losses. In the south, some areas are more arid than others and of course the response to this aridity differs from one country to another. Our approach to these problems is regional: we do not look at the countries per se, but at regions and sub-regions.

Despite the conflicts between countries, there are also common, regional challenges such as desertification, pollution, water scarcity, climate change, global warming – these are issues that need to be urgently tackled, otherwise the Mediterranean region as we know it, the whole civilizational context that depended on that particular climate and environment, will disappear. We need to face this common challenge together. The problems ahead cannot be tackled by individual countries; they need to be addressed on a regional or sub-regional level. In this context, it is important to find projects that countries can carry out jointly. We want to encourage countries to learn from best practice and from past mistakes in the region.

Do you see a link between the Arab protests and water?

One of the key demands of protesters around the Arab region this year has been an end to corruption, particularly the illegal appropriation of public property, whether it is land or water. Water – especially in the southern countries – is seen as a gift from God and there is a strong cultural perception that it is and should remain a public good.

Of course we encourage Public-Private Partnerships with the understanding that they should be based on ironclad guarantees that the public domain is not violated and public goods are not misused by anybody, that there is no nepotism, no corruption. This is important, especially in the water sector. Without such assurances we will never succeed in involving the private sector and securing private-sector investment in water-related projects.

Do you think the protests and subsequent revolts in the Arab world will have an impact on water governance?

Most definitely: autocratic regimes don’t have to be accountable to the public and this has led to a squandering of public assets. As democracy takes hold in the region, accountability will become essential: the new governments have to find ways to secure public assets. This requires the establishment of strict regulatory frameworks and accountability mechanisms to reassure the public that these assets are protected.

The Mediterranean has been identified as a climate change hotspot. What measures does Union for the Mediterranean support to limit the effects of climate change on the region’s population and water resources?

Climate change is wreaking havoc in the area: the south is becoming hotter, facing problems of desertification and water scarcity, while the north is plagued by problems of flooding. This has a huge economic and human impact and there has to be a Mediterranean-wide strategy for mitigation and adaptation. There is no clear consensus on mitigation, but adaptation is an issue that almost all UfM members agree on. It is a more practical issue and it can create jobs, so a strategy on climate change should focus on adaptation and take mitigation into account. We still don’t have a strategic initiative on climate change in place, even though some 18 countries signed a declaration on climate change in October 2010 in Athens as part of an initiative launched by Greece and Turkey. The UfM is now working to develop this Mediterranean Climate Change Initiative and turn it into a strategic UfM initiative.

Do you think decision-makers are sufficiently aware of the threat of climate change and water scarcity in the Mediterranean region?

I think they are aware, but it is not a priority for them. Politicians are still thinking in quick gains and solving immediate problems. It is our task to make them take longer-term actions: we are supporting the organization of a ministerial meeting on the environment, and we are encouraging the development of long-term strategies and initiatives and the making of firm commitments. We also need to communicate with the general public and create awareness of the common challenges we face. We need to have champions – popular figures who enjoy public trust – who can place the issue in the public domain. A two-sided approach is required: top-down from the ministerial level and bottom-up from the public level.

Between 50 and 90 percent of water resources in the Mediterranean goes to irrigated agriculture. In light of the predicted impact of climate change, do you think there is a future for agriculture in this arid region?

We learned in history books that the wheat of the Hauran Plain in current-day Syria fed the Roman Empire. The area has always been very fertile, and agriculture has been a main feature of the region, it is therefore important to preserve it. On the one hand, we have to protect the land; in many countries good agricultural land has been lost as cities and towns expand. Amman is an example, but also Alexandria and Cairo – all the agricultural land around these cities has been destroyed. On the other hand, we have to make better use of water-saving technologies – drip irrigation and information technology – to save water. In addition, we have to look at crop choices and ensure we optimize crop variety. Agriculture will remain a top priority and a national security issue for many countries in the region. We therefore need to deal with this issue scientifically rather than ignoring it or trying to remove it from the agenda.

The Mediterranean is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and rapid tourism development in the region has had far-reaching consequences for water resources. However, tourism is also a key source of revenue for Mediterranean economies. How do you develop sustainable tourism in this context?

Tourism is a big water consumer, but it is also a big income generator. There are many innovative ideas about how to create ‘green tourism’ that does not destroy the environment and waste resources. Tourism must remain part of the Mediterranean economies because it is an important income generator for many countries. There is a lot to be said for green buildings, green housing, green hotels – we have to encourage such concepts so that new developments can take place in a sustainable manner.

Is there such a thing as a Mediterranean identity, and is there enough goodwill among the countries around the sea to build upon such a shared identity to develop a common strategy for water management around the sea?

The French historian Fernand Braudel once remarked that the north and south of the Mediterranean have never been in the same state of development at the same time: if the south was developed, the north was not and if the north was prosperous the south was not. Yet, historically, there have been empires that ruled the whole Mediterranean region for long periods of time. So there is diversity, but there is also unity. The Mediterranean is a big lake – it’s not a sea. Throughout history, people have moved from west to east and from north to south, and this has further accentuated the diversity. Diversity is part of the Mediterranean identity. And I believe there will be a strengthening of that Mediterranean identity. This is also what the UfM stands for: coming together and becoming prosperous. If I didn’t believe that this was possible, I wouldn’t be here doing this job!

Data availability and data sharing is a problem in many parts of the Mediterranean. How can data sharing and harmonization be improved?

First of all, there is a lot of missing data, which is why it is important to strengthen data collection and information systems nationally. But there is also a misconception about the strategic importance of this data and the need for confidentiality. I don’t deny that there are conflicts between countries, but I believe these conflicts can be resolved. Through history, we have seen countries completely destroyed by conflict, only to reconcile and come together to cooperate and build a future together. This is why we have to believe that human nature aspires to a brighter future in which conflicts will be replaced by cooperation and mutual trust. The UfM’s job is to minimize mistrust and encourage cooperation through joint projects. 

What are the technical solutions to the water crisis in the Mediterranean region?

There needs to first of all be a focus on agricultural technologies because agriculture is the main consumer of water. Then we need to think about non-conventional sources: desalination is becoming affordable, even if there is still an environmental impact that needs to be addressed. Rainwater harvesting is another area that should be developed, as a lot of water is lost at the moment. Some people claim – and they are partially right – that it is not about water scarcity, but water management. This is also very important: water governance and the valuing of water, whether financial or otherwise. 

How do you see the future of water resources in the Mediterranean? What will the region look like in 25 years?

We know that historically some of the cities around the Mediterranean ceased to exist because of a lack of water: the Roman city of Jerash in current-day Jordan for example was abandoned because of water scarcity. The prospect of water wars in the region is real: as resources dwindle we will be competing for water, which could lead to conflict. Already today, there are water conflicts brewing in the region. We are moving towards a future in which there will be less resources, higher demand, growing population and therefore we need to focus on protecting the resources we have and encouraging innovation to create new water resources. We have to do everything we can to protect every single drop of water.

As a casus belli, Israel claimed that the launching of those home-made Qassam rockets needed to end. The official Israeli figures show that the number of Qassams actually decreased in the summer and fall of 2008. But Israel went ahead and invaded Gaza again.

The Israeli soldier was not freed then. However, Israel did flatten the American International School – nothing remains but an empty field now – and dropped chemical bombs on United Nations buildings as well razing entire neighborhoods like Izbet Abed Rabo in eastern Gaza.

This onslaught is common knowledge now. What is often overlooked is the fact that Israeli politico-military leaders brought an end to the war on Gaza the very same day that Obama took office on the January 18, 2009, as the 44^th President of the United States of America.

Whether out of respect for the incumbent U.S. president, the Israeli timing was a tip of the hat to its closest ally. If Obama took this as a sign of respect or not, he entered the White House with a confident new agenda for U.S. foreign policy in the Arab world that would have direct implications for relations with Israel.

Obama sent the veteran diplomat and peace negotiator George Mitchell to solve this perennial conflict and called for an end to all illegal Jewish settlement activity on occupied Palestinian territories. Obama could not help himself, just like his predecessors, and even set a date for the independence and statehood of Palestine!

That date passed last September and the Palestinians are still under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank. Netanyahu completely disregarded international law (and Obama) and continued with Jewish settlement growth in occupied Jerusalem. And believe it or not, despite the Israeli ‘disengagement’ in 2005, Gaza is still occupied too.

How is this possible? Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers may no longer be on the ground in the Gaza Strip, but Israel occupies Gaza’s territorial waters leaving only 3 kilometres for Palestinian fishermen who are promptly detained, sprayed or shot for approaching the boundary imposed by Israel.

Israel also has free access to violate Palestinian airspace. Whenever the Israeli military feels compelled to send out their fighter jets or helicopters to strike Gaza they fly straight over the Strip. Air and water are two elements that define sovereignty – or lack of sovereignty in this case. The third element is occupation by land.

Palestinian farmers are forbidden from cultivating kilometres of land on the eastern and northern borders of Gaza. The Israeli military shoots at farmers that approach these areas to supposedly help avoid the launching of rockets. There is an argument for security concerns, but it’s still a form of occupation – not allowing others to use their land.

From a legal perspective, the United Nations also includes Gaza along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem as part-and-parcel of the Palestinian Territory that is occupied in its entirety until the day Israel officially withdraws from the different Areas of the Oslo Accords and reaches a final peace settlement and solution to the Jewish settler problem.

And there is the embargo or siege or blockade of Gaza. However you may wish to call the Israeli denial of access and movement to Palestinian goods and people, Israel is still occupying and preventing an existential space for the Palestinians. The question is: why is situation allowed to endure after the Israeli soldier was released?

The simple answer: Israel wants nothing to do with Gaza. Since losing the territory in 2005, Israel has gradually turned its back on the Strip. The Europeans tried to help monitor the Rafah crossing but that did not last long. The election of Hamas in 2006 provided Israel with an excuse to further isolate Gaza. The killing of two Israeli soldiers and the kidnapping of another closed the siege completely.

But now that the soldier has been returned for over a thousand Palestinians, Israel can only fall back on the fact that Hamas is still in power. And the fact that Hamas is not about to relinquish power merely reinforces Israel’s obduracy when everyone knows now that national coalition governments are the future of Arab politics.

That Washington is beginning to realize this is apparent with incremental overtures to the Muslim Brotherhood. That Europe sees the changes is apparent in their positive support of change in the Arab world. That Israel refuses to see this happening before their noses is an astounding tragedy and a worrying sign of deep immaturity.

Stuart Reigeluth and Dimitris Bouris work at the Council for European Palestinian Relations (CEPR) www.thecepr.org in Brussels and London. This article was first published in Gulf News on January 17, 2011.

South-East Europe Pipeline (SEEP) proposal. Source: Energia.gr

The competition for Azeri gas has been fierce from the outset, where the EU’s flagship initiative from its Southern Gas Corridor, called Nabucco – a proposed 31 bcm natural gas pipeline from Erzurum in Turkey to Baumgarten in Austria diversifying natural gas supplies and delivery routes for Europe[1] – quickly found itself competing for Azeri gas supplies with smaller rival Southern Corridor projects such as the Italy-Greece-Turkey Interconnector (ITGI) and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).[2] Recently, a new contender entered the race in the form of the South East Europe Pipeline (SEEP) launched by BP, who holds a 25,5 percent share in the Shah Deniz consortium. The new initiative represents a 1,300 km pipeline stretching from western Turkey across Bulgaria and Romania to Hungary’s western frontier with a capacity of around 10 bcm per year. For the most part making use of existing infrastructure, the SEEP comes at a fraction of the cost needed for the 3,863 km long – largely newly-constructed – Nabucco project.

Nabucco’s cost of construction estimated at €10 billion is compared to its closest competitors one of the project’s major weak points. In November 2011, European Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger remarked that at a time of major austerity measures across the European Union, the Nabucco project is expensive and needs to convince wary investors that they should free up the necessary cash for it. Although he remained positive about Nabucco’s chances for success, he admitted that “the debt crisis, which could develop into a financial market crisis or an economic crisis, is certainly not a good sign.”[3] Nabucco’s excess capacity compared to the quantity of gas immediately available is another point of concern for investors. Following on Oettinger’s statement, the U.S. envoy for Eurasian energy, Richard Morningstar, added to Nabucco’s woes by stating “it is important that Shah Deniz producers and SOCAR choose a smaller pipeline as the first pipeline.”[4]

If the current debt-crisis and the competition from lower cost pipelines ITGI and TAP were not enough, the SEEP launch might just turn out to be the nail in Nabucco’s coffin. Compared to Nabucco, SEEP’s biggest advantage is that it is backed by BP – a gas holding major. The Nabucco consortium could only dream of having access to the size of the gas reserves BP can command. SEEP’s heaviest competition is likely to come from the TAP consortium which is backed by another group of strong companies, including Shah Deniz shareholder Statoil.[5] With the possibility to expand the pipeline to 20 bcm should more resources come available and operating at a fraction of the cost of Nabucco, the TAP consortium holds strong papers to wield in the Azeri contract.

The final stand-off thus seems to be between SEEP and TAP with Nabucco likely losing out due to its high cost and ITGI because of its backing by less strong companies. Whether TAP or SEEP ultimately wins the contract remains to be seen. TAP has the great advantage that it has already sorted out the transit arrangements with Greece and Albania and is thus the furthest advanced in terms of overall project planning, whereas SEEP has only just been announced.[6] The ultimate decision proves to be an interesting one as SOCAR is forced to choose between several bids, including two from the two major shareholders of its own gas field.

Whatever the outcome, what seems all but certain is that Nabucco is a mere inch away from being put to sleep indefinitely.

Forbidden Pleasures, 2011 | Oil on linen, 72 x 96"

 HIDDEN GEOGRAPHIES - Sharmistha Ray’s solo expostion from January 18 – February 18, 2012

Galerie Mirchandani & Steinruecke, 2 Sunny Road, 16/18 Mereweather Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 001

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An interview with Indian painter, art critic and curator, Sharmistha Ray: “Shifting back and forth between the U.S. and India has informed me as a person, especially related to issues of immigration, but it is only a fragment of a much larger story. That story is an abstract one, without words, and hence, abstract painting.”

How would you describe your relationship with art? 

Hanging Garden, Dreams of Babylon, 2010 | Acrylic on Canvas, 36 x 36"

What is your preferred medium (why)?

Painting, oil on canvas. Painting has a limitless condition attached to it. I am interested in the idea of the infinite, of an expression that goes beyond conventional notions of time and space. ”The true painter of the future will be a mute poet who will write nothing but express himself, without articulation and in silence, with an immense and limitless painting,” said Yves Klein. I would agree with him.

How have you seen your work evolve (since your return to India after completing your studies in the United States)?

Tremendously. I started to feel stifled by my experience in the United States and quite instinctually, I gravitated towards India. The first few months were difficult as I had never really lived here. Now, of course, five years later, it feels like home. I didn’t paint very much for the first few years here because I was working full-time at a gallery. But I traveled and saw a lot which opened up my consciousness in ways I couldn’t have dictated. I became a much better painter for it, even though I hadn’t actually painted very much!

Agni, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36"

How can you account for your transition from figurative to non-figurative art?

It happened very naturally. I got bored with figurative art and it’s ability to go anywhere after a while. After a point, most (not all) figurative artists fall into the trap of stylization. I knew I wanted to be a painter, so I had to find a mode of expression that would keep opening up, opening up and then some more.

I am working full-time again with an international gallery, so I typically travel quite a lot for them. But when I am in Mumbai (where my studio is), I work for the gallery during the day and paint at nights. It’s a restful and calming experience, but also incredibly energizing.

Vine, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36"

How does Indian culture affect your work or your process?

I can’t paint if I am not energized by my environment. I have had my most creative spell in India in terms of ideas and the evolution of my own thought process. I owe everything to my Indian experience, but that’s not specific to the culture as such. My being here informs me. Culture exists in a social realm. I am less interested in that as an artist.

It’s a young scene here, but a lot is happening. I miss the museums in New York and in Europe, generally. Traveling allows me to soak up as many museum shows as I can. I love museums. This goes back to the difference between experience of a place and experience of a culture. India’s culture is not well documented or presented, but its raw vitality feeds me everyday.

Monsoon No. 2, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36"

What compelled you as an artist to move back to India and to choose Mumbai as a place to live and work?

I didn’t feel I could grow in the ways that I wanted to if I continued on in New York. I went to Kolkata initially to give myself the time and freedom to paint. Soon after, I moved to Mumbai because it was so much more vibrant, so much more happening. I also landed a job in Mumbai, at the right time. That enabled me to move here.

Do you find inspiration in your experience with both Indian and U.S. culture?

I need all cultures and travel allows me to move between cultures, people and places with ease. I really believe in a human experience. Shifting back and forth between the US and India has informed me as a person, especially related to issues of immigration, but it is only a fragment of a much larger story. That story is an abstract one, without words, and hence, abstract painting.

Sangam, 2010 | Acrylic on Canvas, 12 x 12"

While I explore something more emotive and experiential through painting, I have an equal need to analyze the world through language. They are different art forms, and I see them as complementary. I wish I could write more fiction, but I don’t have time for it right now. As for my curatorial practice and consultancy work, they open me up in different ways. It’s also my bread and butter! Sometimes it’s challenging to balance all these facets, but that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t do it. It gives true meaning to the verb, juggle.

Night Pond, 2011 | Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36"

Sharmistha Ray (b. 1978 Kolkota) is an Indian painter, art critic and curator: sharmistharay.net

Arab Water Council President H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Abu Zeid (R) and Secretary General Dr. Safwat Abdel-Dayem (L)

Revolve | The Arab world is one of the most arid regions in the world, disposing of only 1 percent of global water resources. Is the region facing a water crisis?

Sawfat Abdel-Dayem: Without a doubt, there will be a crisis if water use is not rationalized. New water resources need to be developed through technologies like desalination and the use of treated wastewater. Management needs to be improved and there needs to be greater public awareness about the problem of water scarcity. Our aim is to strengthen all aspects of management to avoid a crisis.

RE | Politically, several Arab countries are undergoing profound changes. Do you see a link between the protests in the Arab world and water?

SA: The protests have brought about a profound change: people who had no voice on the political scene are today the leaders of change.

One of the remarkable changes we witnessed during the Egyptian revolution is that the people initiated a dialogue with other Nile Basin countries through popular diplomacy delegations that visited neighboring countries and said, ‘let’s talk, we can all share the benefits of this shared resource and avoid conflict and division’.

Political leaders in the riparian countries welcomed this move. The revolution in Egypt has opened a window for dialogue and greater agreement about how we can cooperate over the issue of water management.

RE | Do you think the protests in the Arab world will have an impact on water governance in the future?

SA: During the protests we have seen people demand equity, lower food prices and freedom, which means better governance. From our side, we have been calling for improved water governance for a long time through conferences, workshops and training courses – even before the revolution. But we have always emphasized that good water governance cannot be achieved if a country’s overall political governance is not improved.

RE | Does this also relate to transparency in water governance?

SA: Today everything is more transparent than in the past. People are taking the lead and entering into dialogue with the leadership, and stating their grievances openly, even in the absence of the normal constitutional arrangements. In the future, the new parliaments and parties will all have to adopt a transparent approach to aspects of their work and management of national resources.

RE | The Arab world has been identified as a climate change hotspot. What measures are being taken by national governments, but also regional organizations, like the Arab Water Council and others, to limit the effects of climate change on the region’s population and water resources?

SA: Climate change is today no longer just an expectation; it is a reality. Governments in the region have started to integrate climate change adaptation policies and action plans into their development agendas. However, action plans are not sufficient; we also need expertise to help us assess with greater precision the likely local impact of climate change on water in the region.

The initial predictions are daunting: forecasts show a 20 percent reduction in the already low rainfall levels, as well as extreme floods and droughts. These predictions are based on global assessments. The Arab Water Council is currently working on a four-year regional project with the World Bank, the Global Environmental Facility and data provided by NASA to get a more precise idea of the local impact of climate change in five countries in the region: Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.

RE | There is a water crisis in the Arab world that urgently needs to be addressed. Do you feel decision-makers are sufficiently aware of this crisis?

Mahmoud Abu Zeid: I believe some decision-makers are aware. But they need to be convinced that water should be at the top of their agenda. They need to prioritize water planning and allocate the required funds; this is not happening at the moment.

RE | Despite the growing water scarcity in the Arab region, public awareness of the problem remains low. Why?

MA: Scarcity takes place on the national level, but when you come down to the local level – houses or farms – users don’t necessarily see the scarcity. They open the tap and the water is there, while other people are not getting anything. It is important to enhance public awareness. We have a number of programs to address this: we work with users, journalists, farmers, water user associations and other stakeholders.

RE | One of the key challenges to improved water governance in the Arab world is the absence of accurate and comprehensive data on the state of water resources. How can this ongoing problem be addressed?

MA: Data is essential for the development of water policy. In certain cases data is not available due to a lack of monitoring devices and observation stations. The development of better data-collection systems requires funds though. Meanwhile we also need capacity building to train the people who collect the data.

The exchange of data is essential at all levels: in the domain of climate change, shared water resources and elsewhere. A number of international conventions call for the free exchange of data, but this is still not happening today. We believe there should be bilateral and multilateral agreements between countries; one general convention is not enough.

RE | This brings us to the issue of trust, which poses a further challenge to the development of sound policies, as data are reluctantly shared. Is there a way of building greater trust between parties in the region?

MA: Even in the presence of conventions, countries should trust each other and see that data sharing is mutually beneficial. In certain cases, data may be sensitive and difficult to share, and we should accept that, but in general many data can and should be shared.

RE | Agriculture is a major consumer of water resources in the Arab region with between 70 and 90 percent of water resources allocated to irrigated agriculture. This is not sustainable in the long term, particularly in view of the predicted impact of climate change. Is there a future for agriculture in this arid region?

MA: Agriculture is essential to the region. The Arab League has also recognized this. We believe that there should be a certain degree of food security, although this varies from one country to another. We are not encouraging 100 percent food security – this is impossible due to a lack of resources and lack of land. Countries need to accept this. But there must a certain degree of security.

Egypt for instance has historically been an agricultural country with a large food production. We now secure about half of our food needs in grains. This might be increased to 60 or 70 percent. This depends not just on the availability of water, but also on productivity per drop of water we manage to achieve. Higher productivity would allow us to increase production.

Countries also need to increase water-use efficiency. The question of virtual water and the amount of food that a country imports and exports should be considered as well; a balance needs to be achieved. In Egypt, I do not encourage the export of a water-thirsty crop like rice for example, as is the case now.

RE | How do you see the future of water resources in the Arab world? What will the region look like in 25 years?

MA: I am optimistic because there are plenty of political, economic and technical solutions. Everything will depend on the strategies and plans that policy-makers choose to put in place. We see it as our role to advise policy makers and encourage the council of ministers to make commitments.

Francesca de Châtel is the water editor at Revolve Magazine.

I don’t aim to transmit anything too deep. I just hope the energy of love and creation comes through when we play!

2.       What’s been the most rewarding moment for you as a band?

There have been many for me. It’s hard to pick one. In fact, this very moment, right now, feels like the most rewarding moment. We have a new drummer, and we are all writing new songs together. We are experimenting with new ways of making music and love just making music together. Of all the adventures and shows and events, this feels the best: just creating together.

Revolve’s favorite songs: LIEUTENANT  | TAMBOURINE | HIGH WIRE

3.       What are your current projects/pieces about?

My solo project is called Pisces, and it is a group of songs that have folk elements to them. It is slightly softer music that just does not fit in with the music of Happy Hollows. Charlie helped out a lot, he played bass and helped produce the songs, and Chris, our original drummer, played drums. The album is much more feminine. Pisces is like the moon, where Happy Hollows is like the sun. My album is entirely female in feel, which I needed after all these years of making music with boys! ha! I just let the songs be about love, and mystical things like sex, and the moon, and the earth, and spirituality. All the things that sometimes Charlie would be uncomfortable with me singing about in Happy Hollows I got to do in Pisces. So, it is the other half of me, like the moon is half and the sun is half, and together, they share their time with the earth!

4.       Is the Happy Hollows next album also different from your previous work?

Our next album is very different in feel, mostly because we are incorporating the use of synthesizers a lot more. It was always part of the plan though. When I met Charlie, he had been mostly an electronic musician, but at that time he said he wanted to just focus on the bass for a while. But now he has returned to his electronic roots. I thought that sounded like a fun idea.

5.       Sarah, as lead singer and guitarist, of Iranian-American roots, are you open to exploring more ‘Oriental’ style music?

Yes, my father is Persian and lived his entire life in Iran until moving to the U.S. in the late 1970s. I’m always open to different styles! I grew up with Persian music all around me, so I think it seeped in. Check out my solo song “Flower Toes”! About a minute and a half in it gets very Middle Eastern in feel, which I really dig! I hope that one makes my daddy proud!

6.       Have you established contacts with local musicians in Iran?

I communicate with my family in Iran, and they are most definitely not musicians. I would love to meet artists from Iran though!

7.       Richie, you’re the new drummer since early 2011, how has this been for you joining the Happy Hollows after their great first album Spells? How excited are you? What else do you do in life?

Joining the Happy Hollows has been great! Sarah and Charlie are the coolest and both are extremely talented musicians. They have made my transition into the band quite easy.

Spells is a really great album, I knew right when I first heard it that I should audition for the band and I am glad I did. We are very excited about the new songs! The new record will be a bit of a change from Spells, but it is always good to keep things new and fresh as an artist.

When I am not playing drums, I love to skateboard and to hang out with my friends and family.

8.       Charles Mahoney, the bassist and electronic ‘brain’ of the band, what’s your favorite moment on stage?

My favorite moment on stage is getting to the point where you don’t have to think about what you are doing musically. At that point, when you’ve played the songs so much that it is second nature, it’s possible to really enjoy the experience.

Sarah’s exuberance is what keeps us all going. If it weren’t for that, we’d be cooped up in an office somewhere and making sure that all the figures were correct on this quarter’s financial statements. If we could bottle Sarah’s exuberance, it would sell faster than Coca-Cola.

9.       Sarah, where do you find this energy? Where do you find such inspiration?

I don’t know where my energy comes from, it just flows through me. It is joy. It is really that simple. I love to perform and I love to play music and I love having a team of supporters and I love being creative. Human beings inspire me. I love people. I’m in awe of people. For instance, I just saw this documentary about Robert Moog, the man who created Moog synthesizers. He was so whacky and adorable and inspiring, I will probably write a song about him. Everything inspires me. Life is so amazing! So inspiring! All these different people all so unique and precious. Every single person. Everything is being held up by gravity and somehow it’s all working. Life!

10.   Sarah, as the song writer – what are some of your favorite lyrics? Where do they come from?

Lyrics mostly come when I first write the song. Otherwise, they come at totally random hours of the day or night. It is a really a bizarre experience because it’s like I’m trying to hear the song speak to me. I try to hear what the song is saying the lyrics are. It never feels like they are my lyrics, or even my song. It’s as if I’m translating something that is already made and it’s coming through me.

Some of my favorite lyrics are on my Pisces album. I like the lyrics from my song “Flower Toes” I showed you:

All of a sudden the answers are coming to my head

I’m one and the same with you and we were never divided

An infinitesimal dot, or as big as the sun is

It’s everywhere all the time, all of us, everything, nothing.

11.   How do you find inner peace with all the noise? Is there a special ‘place’ you go to where your thoughts no longer belong to you?

These are fun questions to answer, thank you! Yes, there is a blissful, internal place I go to and it’s so easy to reach, but the mind will say it is complicated. There is a still quiet place inside everyone. It is where creativity and original thought really come from in my experience. It is simple to get there. Here is the trick: “don’t believe your thoughts.” Just have a thought.  Observe that thought. Have space between you and that thought. Inquire into that thought. Realize that the mind is always thinking, and when you believe every thought, you will have no space. It is noisy up there in your mind. I sometimes say:

“All of these thoughts in my head. None of them are mine.”

It’s almost like a visual – a stream of thoughts going by me appears. They are of course my thoughts, but there is space there. I’m not attached to any of them, and I don’t believe any of them. There is space where I can inquire into the validity of any of them. There is just for me. Being. No thought. Just observing. What happens after a while of this is a state of absolute bliss. I no longer feel like “Sarah Negahdari.” Me – separate from you. From that tree a knowingness of being somehow one with everything happens, and it feels very blissful. Very connected to everything, and everything is good. It’s like, “wow,” I could die and I could just turn into dirt that could be the dirt for new grass and that is just absolutely divine because it is part of this oneness of everything. And it would be now whenever that is so it IS. That is truly how it feels. Try it. I would like to know about your experience. Maybe you will have a new insight different from mine. That would be so great!

For more details on The Happy Hollows shows, t-shirts, posters, lyrics, videos:

www.myspace.com/thehappyhollows | www.facebook.com/happyhollows | thehappyhollows.blogspot.com

Photography: Haystack – Ben Irwin – Pinpoint Music | Photography: Rehearsal – Zoe Ruth-Erwin

The EU Border Assistance Management (BAM) has been downsized to a minimum of 13 staff under Head of Mission, French Colonel Alain Faugueras, residing at the beach town of Ashkelon, on the southern Mediterranean coast of Israel. From May to December 2011, 1.4 million Euros has been blown on this suspended mission.

The headquarters of EUBAM-Rafah were always controversial, since the Europeans had to drive all the way around the Strip to monitor the entry of Palestinians to and from Gaza. To be precise, EUBAM-Rafah was overseeing the management of the Rafah crossing point (RCP) on the Palestinian side of the Philadelphi Corridor that separates Gaza from Egypt.

Leaving Gaza, a bus will take you the few hundred meters – or you can work across the open parking lot – to the equally rundown administrative building that serves as the Egyptian crossing point. Entering or leaving Egypt, there is no telling how long the bureaucratic process of getting a simple stamp will take – usually between 2-3 hours – as you wait in the dusty and smoky and dirty hall.

The Europeans were there to speed up this process on the Palestinian side. A new scanner machine was brought in, plus a conveyor belt from the Rafah International Airport (paid for by Europe and destroyed by Israel), as well as new booths to check and stamp passports.

In the summer of 2005, Israel was leaving the Gaza Strip and the Europeans were deploying a small but effective team of monitors to Rafah as part of the Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA).

The EUBAM-Rafah civilian mission was perhaps former EU High Representative, Javier Solana’s favorite baby within the nascent Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) apparatus.

The CSDP mission was deployed rapidly and considered an immediate success due to the incremental number of Palestinians passing daily between November 2005 and January 2006, but there was a catch. Like the headquarters, European engagement was doomed.

Ever willing to accommodate all parties to the conflict, the Europeans convinced the Palestinians to set up surveillance cameras within the Rafah crossing point. These cameras were linked in real-time to the Kerem Shalom crossing point in the south-east corner of the Gaza Strip.

From Kerem Shalom, the Israelis had final say on which Palestinians were allowed to enter and which were not. Alerted by a European liaison officer, the Palestinians manning the Rafah crossing would thus detain members of parties or withhold suitcases of money going into Gaza.

The Europeans were perceived – regardless of their impartial third party mandate – as being complicit in the detention of Palestinians by Palestinians, while also trying to fulfill Israeli security demands.

Reconciling both Palestinian demands for sovereignty and Israel’s security concerns has been and continues to be an impossible feat to complete for any third party involved in trying to resolve this perennial conflict.

Only a few months after increasing the EUBAM-Rafah capacity to over 80 staff, Hamas won the Palestinian election in late January 2006. The impartial position of the Europeans became difficult to prove as Israel increasingly called for the Rafah crossing to be closed for security reasons.

In June 2006, the militant branch of Hamas, al-Qassam Brigades, launched an attack on Kerem Shalom, killing two and kidnapping an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. Over five years later, Shalit was released for a pending promise of over 1.000 Palestinian prisoners in return in October 2011.

The EU mission dwindled quickly after 2006 and was officially suspended in June 2007 when Hamas repelled Fatah’s attempt to take-over the Gaza crossings. By 2011, the Europeans were nowhere to be seen at the Rafah crossing or elsewhere within the Strip – except for the occasional foreign workers at UN agencies or one Frenchman at an archaeological site in central Gaza.

The loss of legitimacy as a third party for the European Union is simply astounding, but more worrisome is that with the ongoing siege of Gaza, the few remaining Europeans are still parked on the beach in southern Israel. European tax-payer money is going to pay people to do nothing!

This a great shame – not only for the lost opportunity of playing a positive role, (EUBAM could have been replicated positively elsewhere) but also for the extreme waste visited upon the Strip. The most severe and repugnant example is the raw sewage seeping into the Mediterranean – this middle sea shared most of all with Europe.

Stuart Reigeluth is Managing Editor of Revolve Magazine. This article was first published by EUobserver on December 13, 2011. Correction: The original text said Colonel Faugueras resides at Dan Gardens, when EUBAM-Rafah HQ is now in the center of Ashkelon.

Such a ‘supergrid’ would facilitate the integration of large-scale renewable energy and the balancing and transportation of electricity and improve the overall functioning of the European energy market.

In an exclusive interview with Revolve Magazine, Ms. Ana Aguado, CEO of the ‘Friends of the Supergrid’ (FOSG) – a representative organisation to the European institutions that brokers the interests of a group of companies and organisations which together wish to promote and influence the required policy and regulatory framework for a supergrid – explains her view on the creation of a pan-European electricity grid.

According to Aguado “the supergrid would not constitute an extension of planned point to point High-Voltage Direct Current (HDVC)[1] interconnectors between individual EU Member States. Rather, the idea is to create so-called ‘supernodes’ which collect, integrate and route renewable energy to the best available markets.”

A recent study on Offshore Electricity Infrastructure in Europe under the coordination of 3E, pointed out that when using hub connections for offshore wind farms – as opposed to connecting each wind farm individually to shore – €14 billion worth of investments could be saved.

Aguado comments that on top of this “a meshed network has the advantage that in case of insufficient wind at sea, you can connect onshore power via the sea to another country. A stand-alone initiative would die out instead.”

The initial phase of the Supergrid focuses mainly on the North Sea, which upon construction should link into other initiatives such as Medgrid and Desertec to form a truly pan-European Supergrid that taps into the full potential of renewable energy sources in Europe andNorth Africa. Or as Ms. Aguado put it: “in the South because of the available solar energy, inCentral Europe for its hydroelectric potential and in the North because of the sea and wind, without forgetting other renewable energy sources such as geothermal and biomass.”

Reforming the current regulatory framework is as important as the actual construction of a Supergrid. According to Aguado, this is where most work is still needed: “What is important is that there is a gradual harmonisation of support schemes for renewable energy. Only in this way can you create a renewable energy market that truly works and secures the needed investments. If there is proper coordination, you can avoid situations where renewable energy is discriminated depending on the country/market of origin due to a difference in local support schemes.”

At European level, Ms. Aguado pleads for an expansion of the powers of organisations such as the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). Furthermore, she claims that plans such as the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E)’s Ten Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) should not only be the product of national transmission needs. A new version of the TYNDP is expected in June 2012.

“A Supergrid should be designed at the European level and should take into account offshore connections – a thing the TYNDP could not do in 2010”. – Ana Aguado, CEO of Friends of the Supergrid.

Whether a pan-European Supergrid will ever become operational in the future remains to be seen – particularly in light of the EU’s current debt crisis. The high costs of investment are often invoked against the creation of much needed infrastructure for large-scale renewable energy integration. However, looking at the longer term, one cannot help but feel that this view seems somewhat short-sighted.

Indeed, if one takes into account the improvements in security of supply in terms of a reduced dependency on imported hydrocarbons, the long-term cost-savings would greatly outweigh initial investments. Moreover, the FOSG are right to point out that when such investments in renewable energy infrastructure are made, putting your money in stand-alone country-by-country networks will only allow support schemes to continue to differ from one country to another.Europe’s renewable energy potential thus remains underutilised.

Ultimately, if the EU is to make good on its pledges to decarbonise its economy by 2050, investments in renewable energy and related technologies should greatly increase and be geared towards having the greatest possible impact, making maximal use of the available potential. Having said that, investing in a Supergrid seems not such a bad idea at all.

Sijbren de Jong is Energy Editor at Revolve Magazine and Research Fellow Energy Security & Climate Change at the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies.