6
Oct
2021
Watch
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 (debate)
Madam President! The timing couldn't be worse. We are facing perhaps the most decisive climate summit ever. We have the ambitious package of legislation known as the Green Deal and we are already behind schedule. There are many explanations for the rising energy prices that we are discussing here today, and I understand the concerns very well. The problem is that there is a lack of green electricity. We have not expanded with renewable energy in time, just as we have not been good enough to save energy, including in all the buildings. Renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy we know today. It is much cheaper to produce green power from wind turbines and solar cells than it is from coal and gas. Therefore, the long-term answer to the short-term challenges we face is to build out - and in a hurry. But then again, we need to get the permits we need to produce more renewable energy. If we do not, then we will not succeed, either with our climate goals or with making Europeans safe, secure and warm on their way into the cold winters.