Opinion | Alexey Evgrafov: The government wants to destroy the shale industry
The Center Party faction in Riigikoga voted yesterday against a change in the law on the electricity market for third reading, since it supports decisions in the field of renewable energy and has a negative impact on the shale industry. Deputy Chairman of the Economic Commission Alexei Evgrafov said that the Government of the reformist party continues to operate with the aim of 2030 to produce the necessary Estonia Electricity from renewable sources.
“The current coalition did not learn from the recent large-scale disconnection of electricity in Spain and Portugal and still believes that solar and wind energy is the best solution for Estonia. The Center Party does not support such an ideological and short -sighted decision and believes that we should invest in the modernization of the shale industry, ”said Alexei Evgrafov. “Events in Spain and Portugal clearly show that renewable energy is unstable, and overload in networks can lead to a complete collapse.”
According to Alexei Evgrafov, controlled capacities are necessary to ensure energy independence, and the shale industry provides an opportunity to produce electricity exactly when it is needed. “Growns for decades provided Estonia with energy security. This is our local resource, which protected us from external shocks and fluctuations in imported energy. The clear goal of the current government is to destroy the shale industry, and to do this before we have equivalent and reliable alternatives. This is irresponsible behavior towards our families and enterprises, ”said the deputy of the Center Party.
Modern technologies allow you to produce electricity from shale in an environmentally friendly way, but, according to Evgrafov, the government does not want to invest in innovation. “Professor Taltech Alar Konista noted that the installation of Co₂ capture technologies for existing power plants would require investment in the amount of about 200-300 million euros. This is ten times less than what the government wants to allocate to support the sea wind farms. The result would be cheap electricity and zero emissions into the atmosphere, ”he said.
“The actions of the government will lead to an increase in dependence on the imported energy and political decisions of other countries,” Evgrafov added. “This, in turn, will undermine the competitiveness of our economy and hit the welfare of our citizens. The instability of electricity prices and possible interruptions in its supplies are unacceptable for any developed country. In addition to the economic and safety aspect, it is important to take into account the social consequences. The shale sector is an important employer in Ida-Virumaa, and its quick and rash destruction will lead to mass unemployment and social crisis. Unfortunately, politicians of the reformist party and Eesti 200 close their eyes to this, and the Social Democrats, who did not vote at all, did not dare to take a position. ”
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