First solar power auction launched with 100 megawatt capacity

Before many in attendance at this important event, Prime Minister Kurti expressed thanks to USAID and their team in Kosovo for their invaluable contribution to the development of our energy sector and strong support towards energy transition.

The way we're headed is that of independence from fossils in autocratic countries that make Europe's energy dependence. Increased threats to climate change make energy transition more urgent, Prime Minister Kurti said.

That way, he said, we're doing it, and we're going to do it with our friend, reliable partner, the powerful ally, the United States of America, who's already witnessed about our ultimate development and the construction of our democracy.

Speaking of today's event, the prime minister singled out that renewable energy auctions are being shown to be increasingly preferred mechanisms for governments with ambitions to combat climate change and achieve energy security. They, he added further, allow us to attract high-scale competitive energy, while also providing the most suitable prices for our citizens.

With this Ankand, the prime minister said we join the countries, which lead to the transition to green energy and embrace an innovative tool to place resources where our values are and to do so at the most convenient price possible for citizens of the Republic.

The economy ministry will organise the first solar auction in the coming months. This is the first auction to give way to many other auctions for renewable energy.

Full word of Prime Minister Kurti:

 Thank you very much Minister Rizvanelli,

Dear USAID Administrator Samantha Power,

Honored ministers, deputy ministers and deputies,

Friends and partners,

honoured ones,

I want to start with a thank-you to USAID and their teams in Kosovo for their invaluable contribution to the development of our energy sector and for powerful support towards energy transition.

I would like to welcome you once again to the administrator Power, except that it leads the Agency with the largest bilateral aid portfolio in the world, the Power administrator has devoted much time to the human rights attorney within the United Nations Organisation as ambassador of the United States.

Her career course has been shaped by human rights violations even in our region, so we are very lucky to have Mrs. The guest power in Kosovo, which literally means the great bond it has compared to many and many others in terms of our country's history and also the importance of an initiative like this one.

Following the Russian Federation's unprofessed aggression against Ukraine and its people on February 24th of last year, as well as the international energy crisis and inflation that resulted as a result, it is unequivocal, as Minister Rizvanolli said, that energy security is national security.

The road to which we are headed is that of independence from fossils of autocratic states, which benefits Europe's energy dependence.

Increasing threats to climate change make energy transition more urgent.

And that's what we're doing and we're going to do with our friend, the reliable partner, the powerful ally of the United States of America, who's already witnessed about our overall development and the construction of our democracy. This has led us to be even more committed to our vision of a clean and stable energy sector, and this vision of ours is clear:

We guarantee the security of electricity supply so that our country's citizens and businesses are protected and empowered despite external circumstances;

To guarantee energy independence not only for the sector as such, but also for our continent;

We guarantee financial sustainability so that beyond improving the well-being of our citizens, we can also have rapid economic growth.

We understand the key role we play in leading this energy transition and in commitment to policies, such as this auction, which is efficient to take us to the next phase of energy and our economy.

Furthermore, renewable energy auctions are being shown to be the increasingly preferred mechanism for governments with ambitions to combat climate change and achieve energy security. They allow us to attract highly competitive technologies, while also providing the most suitable prices for our citizens.

At this auction, we join countries that are leading the transition to green energy and we embrace an innovative tool to place resources where our values are and to do so at the most convenient price possible for citizens of the Republic.

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

The Kosovo Republic's first solar energy auction, with a capacity of 100 megawatts, meets each step of our vision. And beyond that, for one of the key sectors, this auction as a competitive scheme also meets the fundamental goals of our government and that are three sosh:

First, equal opportunity and fair competition for all actors involved,

Second, innovation and more affordable prices for citizens, as well as

Three, guarantee transparency and increase accountability to the citizens of the country.

We are living in the most critical decades of rapid energy development, as we are walking side-by-side with developed Western states to cope with these developments, to turn our generation's challenges and difficulties into opportunities for generations that come after us.

We're doing this first auction at a very important moment for our country, when we're taking one of the key steps towards our green transition and toward larger investments in our energy sector over decades.

In this case, I also want to thank the Ministry of Economy, Minister Rizvanol, who is so accurately shaping our energy future and is so sure to guide us toward that future.

I have the pleasure of being here with you first and inviting international, local companies to join us in developing this sector.

Thank you.

And now I pass the word on to our great friend, Your Honor, administrator Samantha Power.