Although the Labour Government and the Nationalist Party are engaged in a tit-for-tat on which of them came up with the idea of a second electricity interconnector first, they are both, in their race to the bottom, missing the most important discussion and action when it comes to electricity generation: shouldn’t we be weaning ourselves off fossil fuels and off a near total dependence on foreign sources of energy as quickly as possible? This was stated by ADPD – The Greens’ Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo.
ADPD – The Green Party’s Secretary General, Ralph Cassar said that the decision to go for a second interconnector should be explained in detail.
“First of all government and Minister Miriam Dalli is spreading the myth that the interconnector will reduce emissions. This is just an accounting exercise, since emissions will just be shifted to the source of the energy generation abroad. Secondly, with an EU-wide carbon tax, the price of electricity generated from fossil fuels will still shoot up, whether it is bought over the interconnector or not.”
“The interconnector has been sold as some kind of panacea by the other political parties. In a few words: it is not. Government should publish the studies which it relied upon to arrive at this decision. It should explain whether, from a security of supply perspective, it is wise to depend for most of our electricity on foreign suppliers? Has government given up on an increase in renewable energy? Wouldn’t it make more sense to upgrade the electricity distribution system to facilitate the generation of more renewable energy from households and other sources locally? What about job generation in an essential industry – that is renewable energy generation, maintenance and research?”
Various studies, including one on the Balearic Islands (link below) show that, with immediate, and medium and long term investments even islands such as Malta can increase its locally generated energy from renewable sources exponentially – from a range of sources from solar, to wave and wind energy. Investment in energy efficiency and in strengthening the energy distribution network is also essential. We must move on from the shallow PLPN tit-for-tat to serious action for a green energy future.
More information/aktar informazzjoni:
Curto, Domenico & Franzitta, Vincenzo & Viola, Alessia & Cirrincione, Maurizio & Mohammadi, Ali & Kumar, Ajal. (2019). A renewable energy mix to supply small islands. A comparative study applied to Balearic Islands and Fiji. Journal of Cleaner Production. 241. 118356. 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118356.
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Is-soluzzjoni enerġija nadifa mhux it-tieni interconnector tal-PLPN
Ghalkemm il-Gvern u l-PN jahsbu li qed jimpressjonawna billi jikkompetu fuq min minnhom hareg bl-idea tat-tieni interconnector, id-diskussjoni vera dwar l-energija hija kif se innaqsu kemm nistghu d-dipendenza ta’ pajjizna fuq il-fuels fossili u fuq sorsi ta’ energija minn barra. Dan qalu c-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo.
Is-Segretarju Generali ta’ ADPD Ralph Cassar qal li l-Gvern ghandu jispjega fid-dettall kif wasal ghad-decizjoni li jsir it-tieni interconnector.
“Ta’ min jghid li l-Ministru Miriam Dalli u l-gvern qed iharrfu meta jghidu li l-interconnector se jnaqqas l-emmissjonijiet. Filfatt l-emmissjonijiet minflok isiru Malta isiru fis-sors tal-energija, jiccaqalqu minn post ghal iehor. Ta’ min jghid ukoll li meta tidhol taxxa Ewropea fuq il-karbonju (Carbon tax), Malta xorta wahda jkollha thallas prezz aktar gholi ghall-elettriku ggenerat mill-fuels fossili, anke jekk dan jinxtara mill-interconnector.”
“Minn kliem il-PLPN qisu l-interconnector xi soluzzjoni perfetta ghall-energija ta’ pajjizna. Dan mhux il-kaz. Il-gvern ghandu jippubblika l-istudji kollha li jispjegaw kif wasal ghad-decizjoni li ha dwar it-tieni interconnector. Jaghmel sens li nkomplu niddependu ghall-parti kwazi assoluta tal-elettriku fuq sorsi barranin? X’se jaghmel il-gvern biex tizdied b’mod kbir il-generazzjoni ta’ energija lokalment minn sorsi rinovabbli? Meta u kif se tissahhah is-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku biex tkun tiflah ghal sorsi ta’ energija nadifa mid-djar u sorsi ohra lokali? Il-gvern jinteressah jew le li tissahhah l-industrija tal-energija nadifa f’pajjizna, kemm fejn tidhol generazzjoni tal-elettriku, il-manteniment u t-tiswija tal-infrastruttura u anke r-ricerka?”
Studji juru, inkluz studju fuq il-gzejjer Balearici (link hawn taht), kif b’investiment immedjat, fil-medju terminu u fit-tul, gzejjer bhal Malta jistghu jkabbru bil-kbir l-energija generata minn sorsi rinovabbli – mill-energija mix-xemx, mir-rih u anke mill-mewg. L-investiment fit-tishih tas-sistema tad-distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku hija wkoll essenzjali. Hemm bzonn li d-diskors fil-vojt tal-PLPN jieqaf, u naraw kif bhala pajjiz nimxu malajr kemm jista’ jkun ghal futur ta’ energija hadra u nadifa.
