雅思阅读模拟题及答案_雅思阅读模拟题：Seekinganenergyholytrinity

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　　Seeking an energy holy trinity

　　Jan 10th 2007

　　From Economist.com

　　1 NEELIE KROES, the European Union’s competition commissioner, did not
mince her words when reporting on Europe’s energy markets on Wednesday January
10th. Europe’s energy firms have failed to invest in networks and so customers
are suffering. Those “vertically integrated” energy companies such as
Electricité de France (EDF) or Germany’s E.ON, widely dubbed as “national
champions”, are effectively behaving like local monopolies. Shy of competition,
eager for artificially high prices, they are helping to block the efficient
generation, transmission and distribution of energy on the continent.

　　2 Energy prices vary wildly across Europe. Ms Kroes wants to see cheaper
energy, and intends to push suppliers to divest their distribution network and
to get them to invest more in transportation systems so that more energy—in the
form of gas, or electricity, for example—can flow easily over borders. It is
remarkably hard, for example, for gas-poor Germany to import from the
neighbouring, gas-rich Netherlands. Companies that dominate national markets
have, so far, had little interest in improving the interconnections which would
mean lower prices for consumers across the continent.

　　3 Ms Kroes, of course, will struggle to get her way. The European
Commission, which on the same day presented its recommendation for improving EU
energy policy, also wants to see the unbundling of ownership, the legal
separation of energy suppliers and transporters, something that the integrated
energy companies and interested governments, notably in France and Germany, are
bound to oppose ferociously.

　　4 Complicating the matter is an argument over the security of energy supply
in Europe. Much has been made of the risk for western Europe of depending too
heavily on Russian exports of gas. Russia under Vladimir Putin is prone to using
energy exports as a blunt tool of foreign policy, especially when trying to
bully countries in its hinterland. Last year Russia interrupted gas deliveries
to Ukraine, affecting supplies in central and western Europe too. This week it
blocked oil exports passing via Belarus to Europe, though that spat was soon
resolved.

　　5 The risk is that concerns about security of supply may be used spuriously
by those in Europe who oppose the sort of liberalisation encouraged by Ms Kroes.
The likes of E.ON and EDF may claim that only protected national champions are
able to secure supply, by striking long-term deals with powerful foreign
suppliers. The Commission disagrees. Such deals are too often politically
motivated and far from transparent. Protection has been tried for long enough
and evidently has not worked for the internal market, nor have these companies
secured the best deals for consumers from the Russians.

　　6 In contrast, the Commission's new policy proposes, ideally, a break-up of
these companies into suppliers and distributors. (As a second best solution,
especially for France and Germany, it recommends the management of the networks
by a third party.) Properly independent managers of Europe's energy networks
would have a strong incentive to build interconnecting pipelines and power lines
across borders. For the gas market another means of ensuring competition and
security would be finding a more diverse range of suppliers, for example by
building more terminals for the import of liquified natural gas. It would also
be likely to mean lower prices, if the example of liberalised Britain over the
past ten years is anything to go by.

　　7 Whether any of this is likely to happen soon, however, is another matter.
The Commission is also calling for European governments to agree on a common
effort to reduce carbon emissions by at least 20% by 2020 (compared with 1990
levels). If America is willing to play ball, the Commission proposes to reduce
emissions by as much as 30%. Achieving either target would mean promoting
cleaner cars, a more effective emissions-trading system for Europe, wider use of
public transport and a sharp increase in the use of renewable sources of energy,
like wind and solar power. All that is laudable enough, but will also require
political horse-trading as governments—Europe’s leaders are due to meet in March
to discuss the various energy proposals—try to avoid commitments that may hurt
domestic energy companies or make European firms less competitive than rivals in
America, Asia and elsewhere.

雅思阅读模拟题：Seeking an energy holy trinity.doc

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