Wiśniewski: We should look more broadly at the energy mix to avoid rising energy prices

– Other countries have invested large sums in sources with low operating costs, and Poland has been doing the opposite for a long time. At the moment, we should invest in renewable energy sources, and to close the energy system, we should invest in gas. We should look at the energy mix more broadly to avoid rising energy prices – said the CEO of the Institute for Renewable Energy Grzegorz Wiśniewski at the debate “Energy transformation of the European Union”.

Poland and the EU climate policy

– We have a huge task to do when it comes to modernizing the energy sector. One of the problems is the fuel structure, which is very different from other European Union countries when it comes to the share of solid fuels, especially coal. 30 years ago we started the transformation, during which significant progress was made, but looking qualitatively, it was not a success – said Wiśniewski and added that it is partly related to Polish approach to European Union climate policy.

– At the beginning, it seemed to us that we were transforming – the demand for energy decreased, and so did the CO2 emissions. We joined the EU in this trend. After joining the EU, Poland was enthusiastic about EU regulations and we were on a good trajectory when it came to changing the energy mix. Later this process slowed down and we hoped that we would live with a pension. It turned out that abandoning the transformation can result in great costs that will have an impact on the entire economy – said the president of the Institute for Renewable Energy.

– We operate in the old paradigm; the world has changed, but 2-3 years ago we said that decarbonisation costs too much. In the meantime, the costs of renewable energy decreased, while the costs of conventional energy, especially coal energy, increased. Other countries have invested large sums in sources with low operating costs, and Poland has done the opposite for a long time. At the moment, we should invest in renewable energy sources, and to close the energy system, we should invest in gas. We should look at the energy mix more broadly to avoid rising energy prices – convinced Wiśniewski.