Proclaiming emergency situations is not expected to alleviate the energy crisis

Frees Jocej from the Institute for Development Policy (INDEP) says of Kosova Preis that these measures are not expected to prevent the energy crisis or ease the damage that is envisioned for Kosovo citizens.

Speaking of emergency measures that will be valid at a maximum length for the next 60 days, Jocaj warns that the energy crisis in the coming winter will be deeper than that of the past years.

We see the approved masquerades in some form, but not at the point where we can prevent the energy crisis or ease the damage that is envisioned for citizens of the Republic of Kosovo. We've been proposing concrete measures for many months now, recommendations that if they started to implement from the end of the winter until now, but even in the coming months when temperatures drop, and citizens start using electricity for heating, these measures would affect reducing consumption and reducing the damage that money has to have with the energy crisis. We've recommended the removal of TVS to solar panels, to the diaper, to the thermal pumps and their subvention, because we know that these are measures that would push citizens to increase energy efficiency measures and at the same time turn their consumption into green energy and thus reduce their consumption from fossil energy, which we do not have today in Kosovo, because we know that existing power plants cannot produce as much as we have on the part of consumers in the Republic of Kosovo, he says.

Even Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli has said that there is extraordinary increase in energy prices on the European market, which, according to her, will negatively affect Kosovo in the coming months.

For this, she said the government has proposed emergency measures for limiting valuable power supply to energy supplies at a maximum length of up to 60 days from entering the decision.

“Taking into account the energy situation in the country and with the aim of overcoming this situation, the government proposes to announce emergency measures for limiting the power supply to valuable energy supplies at a maximum length of up to 60 days from the decision's entry into force. This is due to the fact that we have a tremendous increase in prices on the European market that will negatively affect the following months as well as in Kosovo to the extent that we are forced to import electricity, for more than a few European states have warned fossil countries' export bans, and during the months that are now particularly during the winter months, then it is expected that some states will also ban exports to electricity”, Rizvanolli said at the parliamentary session during the vote of these measures.

Fines from the Institute for Development Policy are warning deeper energy crisis due to lack of power in the country and high electricity import.

“Yes, we will have a crisis because in Kosovo current generation capacities are not enough to meet the demand and needs of consumers of the Republic of Kosovo. Given this, Kosovo becomes an importer state and according to data from the annual reports of the Energy Regulatory Office, some 19-20 per cent of total energy in Kosovo is imported from abroad. Consequently, 1/5 of the energy in Kosovo is being imported and this is directly affected by the energy crisis, even citizens, because when such a high amount of electricity is imported, it makes it impossible to escape the energy crisis for such a short period”, he says.

The emergency measures approved in the Assembly, among other things, include: Support measures for citizens with the goal of securing heating during the winter; Stopting the use of electricity for extracting cryptovalutes; Supporting Transmission and Market System Operator (KOSTT) to take necessary action in the function of maintaining the safety of the electromagnetic system; and Mass in saving electricity consumption from all institutions.

Opposition parties have not backed emergency measures, saying such a decision does not help with sustainable energy supplies.

The energy crisis in Kosovo, the region and Europe is due to Russian aggression in Ukraine, as well as Russia's ban on gas exports to European countries.