The “Affordable Energy Alliance“ is being established in our country. One of the goals of the new formation is the preparation of a National Balance of carbon emissions, in which the absorptive capacity of the national green and water systems is taken into account in the asset, and all generated greenhouse gases by industrial, agricultural and household users in the liability. The goals and measures for limiting greenhouse gases are also formulated. Plamen Pavlov, chairman of the Bulgarian Gas Association, spoke on the topic to FAKTI.
- Mr. Pavlov, we are in the midst of a pre-election campaign, including for the European Parliament, but the topic of Europe, of the “Green Deal” not heard much. And in our country, the “Affordable Energy Alliance“… What is the purpose of the new association, what is the future of energy in the EU?
- The goal of the Alliance is to inform the public and influence the authorities to reassess the policy of the EC regarding the “Green Deal”, through which and through the greenhouse gas quotas it happens that an effective conventional energy carrier becomes more expensive to an unsaleable level at the expense of a more expensive and unproven cleaner technologies.
- We are talking about equality of all energy carriers and guaranteeing affordable and affordable energy for Bulgarian energy consumers, but the price of electricity is rising. Are only internal factors influencing this, or are there external factors as well?
- This is precisely what increases the price of electricity, which before the “Green Deal” and without the quotas it cost significantly less. If the EC does not now politically manipulate emissions and their price, we would receive electricity at a price below BGN 100/MWh. If now European citizens pay for electricity valued with quotas of 80-100€ per ton of CO2, in China the price of allowances is 7 € per ton of CO2. If we do not end this suicidal practice, in 2026 the Eurobusiness officials, led by Ursula von der Leyden, plan 450-500€ per ton.
- “The Green Deal“ was one of the prides of the last mandate of the European Commission, but we also saw how it was revised. Is there a clear strategy at EU level what we want and how to do it…
- If we do not change the policy of the EC regarding the “Green Deal” and quotas, we are doomed to an energy and industrial crisis. That is why we offer an expert assessment of the benefits and harms of energy carriers from the entire mix - without political interference, without economic lobbying. We propose a national exchange for greenhouse gas allowances because we want whoever harms the environment and the climate to pay whoever restores the consequences of energy production.
- The big problem both at the EU level and at the Bulgarian level is the formation of greenhouse gas quotas. What do you expect to happen in the near future?
- We want to stop the felling of the Bulgarian green system at the expense of photovoltaic parks, which increase the average annual temperature by 3.7 to 4.2 degrees, we want to assess whether the offshore wind generator parks in the Black Sea basin of the country are needed at the expense of stopping the air currents , bringing moisture to the national granary of Dobrudja, we want to assess the real CO2 emissions generated by each TPP and pay them in proportion to the damage if found.
- You are talking about a national exchange market for greenhouse gas allowances. What is it and how does it work…
- The creation of a national stock market will form conditions for market-organized care for the environment and the climate, in which the principle applies - whoever harms, even when logging, even if it is sanitary logging, will buy quotas, and whoever contributes to limiting the damage, even when it afforests, it will receive quotas that it can redeem on the exchange. This is a real motivation of climate care.