AA
Grootschalige stroompannes zijn vermijdbaar

De Groenen vinden dat grote stroompannes, zoals deze recent in Italië, niet mogen worden misbruikt om kernenergie te promoten. Er zijn andere manieren.

Greens/EFA maintain that electricity blackouts are avoidable

De Palacio's energy policy blackouts

The Green/EFA Group in the European Parliament today presented a document demonstrating that the large-scale electricity blackouts - last experienced in Italy in September - were not an unavoidable part of Europe's destiny and that short-term solutions already existed. Green MEPs Monica Frassoni and Claude Turmes also called into question the Commission's proposals concerning the blackout at a briefing for journalists held this morning in the Parliament in Brussels.

Claude Turmes, Vice-President of the Greens/EFA Group, said:
"Commissioner de Palacio's misinformation campaign on this issue is simply scandalous. She is abusing the Italian blackout crisis in an attempt to convince people that the problem stems from energy supply in Italy and Europe. The Commission's only goal, in fact, is to promote nuclear energy and increase the number of high-voltage power lines in the EU. The blackouts in Italy and in Denmark in June - which was caused by a shutdown in a Swedish nuclear plant - clearly shows that building new power stations is not a solution. We must urgently move to decentralise electricity production while creating a serious policy to stabilise demand."

Monica Frassoni, Co-President of the Green/EFA Group, said:
"On the night of 28 September electricity consumption in Italy was relatively low, and at three in the morning demand cannot possibly be cited as a reason for the blackout. The power cut in Italy arose instead as a result of the policy of ENEL - the majority electric operator in Italy - to import massive quantities of electricity. This practice is pursued with one goal in mind - profits. Increasing the number of power lines coming across the Alps does not in any way reduce the risk of electricity cuts."
"We believe that the short-term solutions for Italy and the EU are as following:
- Drawing up an energy saving programme which would introduce strict requirements for air conditioning systems and encourage, for example, the exchange of old fridges and freezers for models that consume less energy and pollute less.
- Producing electricity in the same place as it is consumed, promoting renewable energy and encouraging 'trigeneration' - the conversion of a single fuel source into electricity, steam or hot water, and chilled water."

GroenDe enige partij die sociaal én milieuvriendelijk is.

www.groen.be

De Groenen/EVAGroenen en Europese Vrije Alliantie in het Europees Parlement.

www.greens-efa.eu

Samen ijveren voor een beter Europa en klimaat?