Wednesday's edition of ETV politics panel discussion show 'Esimene stuudio' saw representatives of the five political parties represented at the Riigikogu discussing energy, including the possible elimination of the CO2 quota component from the final electricity price to consumers, and whether to focus on constructing renewable energy-based power stations over the next decade, or to stick with oil shale-fired plants.
Erik Gamzejev said on ERR's Vikerraadio that the government coalition's unwillingness to advocate for a carbon price reduction, which would stimulate domestic electricity production and help alleviate the energy crisis, is fueling the EKRE's popularity.
The three parties undergoing coalition talks, Reform, the Social Democrats and Isamaa, agree in principle on compensation measures for CO2 quotas, but there are differences on how and to what extent this should be done, one Isamaa MP says.
Various measures both long- and short-term are viable in solving the issue of the current, sky-rocketing price of electricity in Estonia, economics affairs minister Taavi Aas (Center) says. Most concretely, Aas says the threshold below which households can receive help with paying their bills can be nearly doubled.
The Competition Authority (Konkurentsiamet) has proposed reviewing renewable energy subsidies, in the wake of soaring electricity prices. Estonian consumers have had to pay hundreds of millions of euros towards renewables in the past 14 years.