The proposal aims at austerity measures in residential and public buildings, compensation for companies that reduce their consumption and incentives for industries that can change fuel.
The European Commission (EC) is set to release a plan on Wednesday to cut demand for gas in the European Union starting this summer in the face of a winter where it is increasingly likely that Russia will cut supplies.
The proposal considers austerity measures in residential and public buildings, compensation for companies that reduce their consumption and incentives for industries that can switch fuels, according to its draft.
Only when these paths are exhausted gas supply can be rationed or restricted, as a last resort and in an emergencyalthough European regulations stipulate that in this scenario the supply to households and other “protected consumers” remains guaranteed.
Brussels’ emergency plan comes as the flow of Russian gas to the EU has already been cut by 30% compared to the 2016-2021 average, partly as a result of “unwarranted” and “unilateral” actions by Russia’s Gazprom and recent austerity measures on some European countries indicate that the situation could deteriorate further.
Starting point: start reducing gas demand now
The Brussels premise is that starting to reduce gas demand already in the summer and doing so for a longer period of time will be cheaper than later “drasically” and “without adequate preparation”.
Acting now could reduce the impact of a sudden supply disruption on the European economy by a third, he says.
To this end, the Commission proposes to limit the minimum temperature for cooling or maximum temperature for heating public buildings, offices or commercial buildingsas well as campaign for households to lower the thermostat by one degree Celsius.
Industry
As far as industrial consumers are concerned, he proposes to replace gas with another fuel where possible and recalls that European standards allow this: give public aid to drive this change, especially in critical sectors.
It also points out that the alternative fuel could be: more or less polluting than gas and points out in this sense that the emission rules make it possible to temporarily withdraw the ceiling if this is necessary to maintain the supply level.
The Commission is also considering the possibility of: compensating companies who offer to reduce their gas consumption, for example through auctions or tenders that may be cross-border.
Another possibility is the so-called “interruptibility contracts”who are considering granting economic compensation to finance a predetermined reduction in gas consumption during a shutdown period.
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Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
