BRUSSELS, June 21 (KUNA) -- The European Unionآ’s (EU) top energy official on Tuesday warned that there is a clear risk to short-term energy security in member states.
"Renewables and energy efficiency are necessary, but not enough. Right now, we can't match the shortfall from Russian gas with these alone," EU Commissioner for energy Kadri Simson told the Three Seas Business Forum taking place in Riga, Latvia, "We are not just looking at high prices, there is a real risk that we do not have enough energy for our societies. We need to make sure the impact on citizens and industry is as low as possible. So preparation is key," she stressed.
She cited plans to " replace 50 BCM of Russian gas with LNG supplies and 10 BCM with additional pipeline supplies," a measure which is already "moving in the right direction." To boost energy cooperation , Simson said she will visit Azerbaijan in July highlighting "intense contacts" with countries including Canada, Qatar, Algeria and others.
The EU officialn went on to urge member states to "step up preparedness and update "contingency plans in place," in addition to concluding any outstanding bilateral solidarity agreements.
The two days of talks gather prominent speakers, thinkers, political figures, economists, and investors to discuss contemporary geopolitics, technological and industrial developments, economic perspectives, and realities of the Three Seas region. (end) nk.nam