The President: The elaboration of an energy strategy should be among the first tasks of the next government

The accumulated problems in the energy sector pose serious risks to this sector, the economy and the people. This was stated by President Rumen Radev during a meeting held today at Dondukov 2 with the Chairman of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission Ivan Ivanov. The meeting was at the request of Ivanov, who shared with the head of state the most pressing problems in the energy sector, unresolved over the years, and outlined the need for reform.

The delay in the gas interconnection with Greece (IGB), which has been under construction for 12 years, is a serious problem, the EWRC chairman said. According to him, there are a number of issues related to the construction of the Bulgarian part of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. The lack of branches of the gas pipeline to cities in Northern Bulgaria such as Svishtov, Kozloduy, Lom and Vidin shows that this is only a transit gas pipeline built entirely with Bulgarian funds, without clarity whether they can be recovered from transit fees at low transmission volumes., Ivanov pointed out.

The President and the Chairman of the Energy Regulator also discussed the difficult condition of the Maritza-East 2 TPP and the need for a sustainable solution for the future of coal-fired power plants. The common position was that Bulgaria is in dire need of a national energy strategy to provide more clarity and predictability for the future development of Bulgarian energy in the context of the transition to lower carbon emissions and protection of workers in the sector.

"Developing an energy strategy should be one of the first tasks of the next government," the president said. According to him, sustainable and long-term solutions are needed in the energy sector, which provide predictability for people and businesses. The Recovery and Sustainability Plan, on which the caretaker cabinet is working, has innovative energy projects that can contribute to the development in this direction, the head of state noted.

The President called for a price decision of the energy regulator in terms of electricity and heat, which should be maximally in line with the capabilities of Bulgarian citizens and businesses, added the President's press service. The Chairman of the EWRC assured that the regulator will make efforts to keep the price as low as expected, despite the sharp rise in natural gas prices and carbon prices.