Debate: European solutions to the rise of energy prices for businesses and consumers: the role of energy efficiency and renewable energy and the need to tackle energy poverty
Date: WEDNESDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2021
Speaker: Anže Logar
Language: EN

Since the end of 2020, the demand for energy has been boosted by higher demand for residential heating and cooling. A combination of the continued industrial output rebound and rallying EU carbon prices is fostering a switch from coal to gas. As a result, gas demand has increased in 22 EU Member States, including the highest consuming countries: for example, in Germany by 11%, in the Netherlands by 10%, in France by 6% and in Italy by 5%, since the beginning of this year. With respect to electricity prices, they have been boosted by such factors as high electricity demand (due to the COVID recovery), lower renewable production (partly due to the less favourable weather conditions), surging coal prices, rallying EU carbon prices, and overall low gas storage. This led to much higher spot gas prices at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. While natural gas accounts for only a fifth of EU electricity production, higher gas prices are putting a disproportionate upward pressure on electricity prices, due to the pricing model based on the marginal cost of the most expensive fuel used during times of peak demand. As a result, gas—fired power plants have become price—setting units.  Another concern mentioned today is that it will be more expensive to build up the gas reserve for the coming winter. According to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG), current EU gas reserves are too low, at only 70% compared to almost 100% of their storage capacity a year ago. They’re definitely raising some worries about the security and adequacy of the gas supply for this winter.   – Spoštovane poslanke in predsedujoča, spoštovana komisarka. Svet se zaveda pomena te tematike, se tudi zahvaljuje za današnjo razpravo. Naj pa hkrati tudi povem, da je vprašanje dvigovanja cen energentov eno od pomembnejših vprašanj v času slovenskega predsedstva.  Kot veste, je bila to tematika na neformalnem svetu za energijo in transport 22. septembra. O tem so razpravljali na svetu za konkurenčnost 28. septembra. Včeraj je beseda tekla o tem tudi na neformalnem vrhu EU–Zahodni Balkan v Sloveniji v času slovenskega predsedstva. Danes poteka razprava na svetu za okolje. Kot smo bili že večkrat opozorjeni, bo Evropska komisija 13. oktobra pripravila tako imenovano Orodjarno ukrepov, ki jih bodo države članice imele na razpolago za upravljanje s tem tveganjem, hkrati pa bo tudi 21. oziroma 22. oktobra predvidoma potekal vrh na temo dviga cen energentov.  Kar želim v imenu Sveta posebej poudariti, je, da bo pri obravnavi tega vprašanja pomembno, da ne bo zaradi akutnosti problematike prišlo do zmanjšanja naših podnebnih ambicij in da bomo ohranili integriteto našega notranjega trga z energijo. Ta tematika bo zelo verjetno dodatno ogrela ali obogatila razpravo na COP 26, kjer slovensko predsedstvo v sodelovanju z Evropsko komisijo tudi usklajuje skupno EU-stališče.  Svet je pripravljen pri razpravi o dvigu cen energentov aktivno sodelovati s Parlamentom, da bi poiskali najboljše rešitve, zlasti v okviru prihodnjih pogajanj o svežnju „Pripravljeni na 55“.