Energy price
Session: 15th Estonian Parliament, 5th sitting, information briefing
Date: 2025-02-19 15:37
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 13
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 11m
AI Summaries: 13/13 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
Eight questions in the Riigikogu focused on Estonian energy prices and the future energy structure, considering renewable energy ambitions and the need to maintain controlled energy flow. Mart Maastik presented numerical examples of the existence and potential of renewable energy and primarily asked why offshore wind farms should be considered and whether there is actually economic and logistical sense in having both onshore and offshore wind farms. He highlighted that renewable energy currently accounts for about half of our consumption and that previous plans and promises allow for additional growth by 2030, and he publicly referred to the comparability of building sea versus land-based parks.
Thereafter, discussion turned to what role is played in achieving energy independence and what costs are associated with it: the construction and pricing of connections, the taxation of connections, and financing mechanisms. The Minister emphasized that the goal is not constant and infinite renewable energy coverage for consumption at every moment, but the annual consumption volume and energy supply security, which also includes controlled energy flow. In addition, a look was taken at the direction of payments and revenues of state-owned enterprises and the role of Elering and the importance of the European Nord connections in ensuring cheaper and more stable access to electricity. Overall, the topics covered relate to both infrastructural costs, consumer prices, and the long-term priorities of energy policy.
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made for the present discussion.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Mart Maastik (member of the Riigikogu); his political position is other.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
A member of the Riigikogu, Mart Maastik, asks Finance Minister Jürgen Liig about the energy price.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik emphasized that a fully renewable-energy-based system is not realistic, and that there is a need for dispatchable energy, because in Estonia there is currently about 3.5 terawatt-hours of renewable energy per year, consumption is 8–9 terawatt-hours per year, and offshore wind farms are considerably more expensive than onshore wind farms.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Jürgen Ligi noted that onshore wind farms are slow due to protests and approvals, and offshore, their planning is significantly easier, and although reference was made to mystical or perhaps idealistic goals, in 2022 the government, together with Isamaa, confirmed a 100% renewable energy target.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker, Lauri Hussar, thanks the minister and asks that Mart Maastik submit a clarifying question.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik emphasizes that renewable energy does not guarantee Estonia's energy security 100 percent, and dispatchable energy is necessary, and he criticizes the construction of the Latvian interconnection as an extremely expensive and burdensome project for consumers.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The central idea of the speech is that your time has come.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The landscape asks directly where they get such cheap electricity and why the whole thing is justified by it.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks and submits a petition to the minister.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
The amount of renewable energy must cover annual consumption, not instantaneous consumption; financing is funded by consumer money and, with the grid's help, instability is smoothed out, setting goals together and accelerating the transition away from fossil-fuel despots' control.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks you very much and asks that Aivar Kokk present an additional question.
Aivar Kokk
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Aivar Kokk asks the Minister of Finance briefly whether it is correct that one state-owned company earns an 800 percent profit in the trading of electricity, buying from Finland at 11.3 euros per megawatt-hour and selling in Estonia at 192 euros per megawatt-hour, referring to a draft bill according to which 50 million euros are planned to be raised next year to maintain grid frequency, and recalling that last year a total of 160 million euros was collected from Estonian people and businesses, of which 80 million euros went to the Finnish grid operator; is such a profit acceptable?
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi confirmed that Elering does not earn a profit and that the fees are directed at maintaining the network, and the key issue regarding electricity prices is Elering's interconnection with the Nordic countries, where there is a lot of renewable energy and also nuclear energy, in order to ensure cheap and sustainable energy production.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks and informs that the discussion of the eighth question ends.