The Minister of Mining and Energy, Zorana Mihajlovic, stated today that Serbia has provided 17 billion euros for projects in the new investment cycle, of which more than five billion is for renewable energy sources, it was announced from her cabinet.
During a meeting in Warsaw with US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, Zorana Mihajlovic said that Serbia strives to ensure energy security, stability and independence through an energy development strategy and a national integrated climate and energy plan and through investment.
She added that there is already an agreement on cooperation with the American company UGTR on the development of technologies for the construction of solar power plants, and that the company “Bechtel” is interested in investing in new hydroelectric and wind power plants.
Stable gas and electricity prices
“Serbia has stable gas and electricity prices for guaranteed consumers and households, while gas prices for the economy have always been high, and now they have been raised for electricity as well,” Zorana Mihajlovic said today, warning that it could affect competitiveness of our economy, it was announced from her office.
When asked about the rise in electricity and gas prices in Europe, Mihajlovic told that energy is partly a policy and that gas prices are high not because gas demand has increased, but because there are other factors that are it influenced.
As an example, she cited breakdowns on gas pipelines that bring gas to Europe and smaller quantities of gas in European storage facilities, which also affect the price of electricity, which is partly produced from this energy source.
“When we talk about Serbia, electricity prices are not like that because we are going for decarbonisation and a green agenda. They are like that due to certain speculative and political factors that created the crisis in the European Union,” said Mihajlovic, and reminded that the impact of the price of electricity and gas for the economy is something that can affect its competitiveness.
She concluded that this is exactly the reason why we must see together how we will solve this issue.
Mihajlovic is staying in Warsaw, where he is participating in the ministerial meeting of the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation, Danas reports.
