First Reading of the Draft Act on Amendments to the Organization of the Energy Sector Act and Other Acts (Bill 356 SE)
Session: 15th Estonian Parliament, 3rd sitting, plenary session
Date: 2024-03-05 15:07
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 100
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 52m
AI Summaries: 100/100 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The first reading of Bill 356, initiated by the Government of the Republic, concerning the amendment of the Energy Sector Organization Act and other acts, was discussed. The bill proposes amendments to three acts: the Energy Sector Organization Act, the Electricity Market Act, and the Liquid Fuel Act. The main amendments concern the transposition of principles arising from the European Union Renewable Energy Directive and the tightening of supervision over the obligation to add biofuel to fuels used in transport.
The bill clarifies the conditions for developing support schemes, adds a prohibition on paying support for electricity production from waste if the state has not met its waste recycling targets, and makes the control over the fulfillment of the renewable energy use obligation in the transport sector stricter. During the discussion, a lively debate arose regarding the directions of energy policy, including the topics of nuclear energy, renewable energy, and biofuels.
Decisions Made 2
The Economic Affairs Committee reached consensus on the decisions to appoint Mario Kadastik as the representative for the lead committee, to include the draft bill on the agenda for March 5th, and to propose concluding the first reading.
On behalf of the EKRE faction, a proposal was made to reject the draft bill at the first reading.
Most Active Speaker
Mario Kadastik (Reform Party), a member of the Economic Affairs Committee, was the most active, giving a presentation on the committee’s work and answering numerous questions regarding energy policy, climate change, and renewable energy, while representing a center-liberal viewpoint.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Moving on to the third item on the agenda, Jüri Ratas announced that Draft Bill 356, initiated by the Government of the Republic, concerning the amendment of the organization of the energy sector act and other acts, would receive its first reading. He then invited Climate Minister Kristen Michal to the Riigikogu rostrum to deliver the report, while Rain Epler simultaneously raised a procedural question.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler stressed that to avoid confusion, they must clarify before the minister speaks how many questions should be directed to whom and how those questions should be allocated, and he asked Jüri to run through the details.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas stated that there are two questions during the first reading, representatives of the factions will be given the floor during the debate, and each member of the Riigikogu may ask the rapporteurs a total of two questions.
Kliimaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Climate Minister Kristen Michal is presenting Bill 356 on the amendment of the Energy Sector Organization Act and other acts to the Riigikogu, which transposes the EU Renewable Energy Directive, amends the Energy Sector Organization Act, the Electricity Market Act, and the Liquid Fuel Act, and creates market-based support mechanisms. This strengthens the supervision of compliance with biofuel obligations (6-month compliance periods and stricter sanctions) and involves the Competition Authority and other state agencies, primarily affecting companies that produce biofuels from biomass and users of fuels of biological origin.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas thanked the minister for the thorough overview, noted that there were questions, and invited Arvo Aller to speak.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller highlighted that while one position was promised for the Competition Authority, the explanatory memorandum indicates the addition of 0.3 positions at the Environmental Board and 600,000 euros for the VDS upgrade, which will be covered by emissions trading revenues. He then inquired about the size of these projected revenues and whether any other upgrades could be financed with that money.
Kliimaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Climate Minister Kristen Michal stated that the revenues from emissions trading are higher, and the precise figure will be submitted later in writing.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas thanked the minister, stated that there were no further questions, and then invited Mario Kadastik, a member of the Riigikogu Economic Affairs Committee, to deliver the presentation.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The Economic Affairs Committee reviewed the draft legislation on February 12th. A few questions arose concerning the definition of biofuel and the context surrounding Viru Keemia Grupp’s gas, which were subsequently clarified. The debate also centered on the increase in penalty rates and the justification for these increases, as well as whether the proposed change was mandated by the directive. Decisions were unanimously passed to designate the speaker as the representative of the lead committee, to schedule the draft bill for the agenda on March 5th, and to conclude the first reading.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
He/She thanks the audience, invites questions, and asks Rain Epler to answer.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler emphasized the development of wind and solar energy in conjunction with the European level. He then asked how these priority developments—specifically concerning wind and solar power—would help accelerate the achievement of better energy solutions, including nuclear energy, and requested the sharing of a personal view on the matter.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kadastik clarified that this question is more relevant to the next item on the agenda, as the discussion had focused primarily on biofuels.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invites Martin Helme to speak.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme asked Jüri not to interrupt so soon, because the answer was starting to emerge.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas said that no answer had come from there, and asked Martin Helme to come.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme criticizes biofuels as greenwashing and a fraudulent scheme, and questions what this law actually improves, referencing the plundering of Asian forests and the transport of biofuels using fossil fuels.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The main message of the presenter's speech was the discussion of liquid fuel components, the definition of biofuel, and their environmental impacts, including emphasizing the importance of the ratio between methane generation and the resulting CO2 emissions when burned, as well as the need to better ensure competition. However, the commission did not hold a deeper discussion in this specific context.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas calls upon Helle-Moonika Helme to take the floor.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Commenting on the draft law, Helle-Moonika Helme claims that although the stated goal is to adopt the directive and promote renewable energy, the incentives are not justified. Furthermore, she argues that a democratic state is engaging in ideological market distortions, which she describes as a pyramid scheme that takes money directly from people's wallets and fails to increase either prosperity or economic growth.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Renewable energy ensures a cleaner environment and utilizes various technologies (wind, solar, nuclear). The transition away from fossil fuels should take place during the transition phase, not at the end, because the electricity market operates on marginal cost, and capital costs cannot be recouped from the market. However, when renewable energy output is high, the price of electricity drops.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Ratas emphasized the rules of procedure, stating that the respondent must not interrupt while giving their answer, and then invited Rain Epler to take the floor.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler asked how the promotion of wind and solar energy, along with their priority development, contributes to the development of nuclear energy, pointing out that the draft bill adopts the principles and obligations promoting renewable energy development that stem from the European Union directive.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
In the current situation, an intermediate stage and cheap electricity are necessary, given the massive deficit in Estonian energy production and consumption. Renewable energy represents the only realistic alternative for this interim phase, though we must also discuss the steps for the next decade and the immediate future, and address nuclear energy issues as needed.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Deputy Speaker calls on Martin Helme to speak.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme expresses his thanks and notes that Pandora’s box has been opened. He wanted to ask the Minister a question, but the presentation ended too quickly, and he didn't manage to get the floor, so he is asking his question this way.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas had to briefly step in as the presiding officer, stating that there had been enough time.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He says that he himself was sleeping.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Ratas stressed the need for Riigikogu members to react more quickly and show greater dedication, before inviting Martin Helme to ask a question.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme praises Jüri and asks not to be interrupted at the end of the minute.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas said that he won't take it.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme is criticizing the government for closing down two large boilers in Narva as part of the green scheme, arguing that this reduces production capacity and drives up energy costs. He also mentions the promise of 2 billion without any clear explanation, and finally questions what the climate context actually is and whether the climate crisis is a reality.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Addressing the climate crisis requires the decarbonization of all sectors and the adoption of methods with a lower atmospheric impact (e.g., using CO2 instead of methane). Furthermore, in the energy sector, oil shale units must be shut down because their output is priced out of the market by cheaper electricity, including both renewables and Finnish nuclear power.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas posed a question, touching upon our transcript and future business, and inquired about the meaning of the foreign word the respondent had used at the outset, specifically asking whether it translated into Estonian as "exclusive condition" or what the respondent intended by using it.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He asks what word he used.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas said that the word used was ‘disclaimer’.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mario Kadastik notes that the topic was something similar, and under the heading of 'disclaimer' he was thinking about what to say, and asks what a good Estonian equivalent for that might be.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
One should speak Estonian at the Riigikogu rostrum.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The talk focuses on establishing this base.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas notes that the basis must be established, says, "Understood," and directs the floor to Helle-Moonika Helme.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
According to Helle-Moonika Helme, the global climate crisis doesn't actually exist, CO2 is food for plants, renewable energy only partially brings about cleansing, and waste management is rarely discussed, which is why the discussion should be started from the beginning, because the topic lacks real substance.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mario Kadastik stated that the entire energy portfolio must be reviewed from beginning to end—from production to disposal—and all energy sources must be discussed holistically, in which context renewable energy is cleaner compared to fossil fuels.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas calls upon Rene Kokk to speak.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kadastik's presentation to the committee outlined Viru Keemia Grupp's plan for establishing a plastic waste recycling plant. He then asked whether this project qualifies under the definition of the Just Transition Fund, stressing that the core issue revolves around the technology and general principles. He added that the government supports the circular economy and that the project could receive funding, provided the technology is proven on an industrial scale.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme asserts that the climate crisis is not a real phenomenon, but rather the result of an ideological illusion, and questions whether the adoption of this directive will solidify Estonia's energy independence and self-sufficiency, or if it is merely the entrenchment of an ideological experiment.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Mart Helme was invited to speak at the beginning of the address.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas welcomes the questioner and notes that it is time for the questioner to take the floor.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mario Kadastik stresses that energy demand is high and climate change is detrimental to people. Currently, the only sustainable production solutions are wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear energy, which requires long-term development, because fossil technologies are unsustainable and their usage is limited by CO2 quotas.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invites Arvo Aller to speak.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller raises the question of whether peat, which belongs to areas with high carbon stock, is classified as biofuel, and whether the use of peat is considered a biofuel.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He explains that the question needs to be delegated to the drafters of the bill, as he isn't sure of the answer himself, and perhaps the minister will take the final word and provide the response.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas emphasizes that this cannot be delegated, and then directs the next speaker, Siim Pohlak, to proceed.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The speaker thanks the audience and addresses them respectfully.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The speech addresses the issue of security.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas stated that it is not possible to question the minister from the Riigikogu podium, and they lack that opportunity.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He asks if time can be started again.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas poses the short question, "What?", which prompts a discussion.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak notes that time is moving quickly again.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas confirms that the speech will last 60 seconds.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak claims that starting from the 1950s, there have been numerous moments of climate panic, which have only led to tax increases and a higher cost of living, and he asks rhetorically whether the Reform Party and Estonia are actually capable of influencing the entire global climate system.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas apologized and stated that his colleague Mart Helme had encountered a minor procedural concern.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme posed a question to the Chairman, asking whether the Board's communication style with those posing questions is a collective decision. He pointed out that the second vice-chairman also comments on the questions and referenced a potential amendment to the rules of procedure, which might be put to a vote, that would allow chairmen to comment on the questioners and their questions. He added that he is somewhat confused regarding this matter.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas said that this is not a board decision, and the chairman does not have to comment on it, but the Rules of Procedure can always be changed. However, he is very much in agreement with the word "perhaps," because he fears that it might not happen during the term of this assembly, and he asked the rapporteur to reply.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Jüri Ratas called Mart Maastik to come forward.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik criticizes the issue of biofuels and EU funding as wasteful spending, citing Keit Pentus-Rosimannus's statement about a 300 million euro project being "scrapped," and notes that offshore wind farms are not cheap energy, but are five times more expensive than the energy produced by onshore wind farms, and yet attempts are being made to subsidize them right now.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas apologizes and states that the following issue has arisen, and requests Siim Pohlak to ask a procedural question.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak noted that the microphone was not switched on during the dialogue he held with Mart Helme, and Helme's answer did not reach the hall when he asked whether Helme believed he could influence the Earth's climate.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas confirms that the microphone was live during that response, asks Evelin Poolamets for the floor, and apologizes, explaining that the answer must come first.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mario Kadastik stated that he did not explicitly call offshore wind farms cheap, but rather that wind is one potential energy source. He also clarified that he did not specify whether he meant onshore or offshore wind, and he conceded that offshore wind power is more expensive than onshore wind power.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invited Evelin Poolamets to take the floor.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
This draft bill concerns agricultural producers; raw materials sourced from agricultural land as waste are used for biogas production, which are often not considered waste, but are instead residues from hay, grain, or oil crops. I have a question as to why not a single agricultural producer was invited to the consultation round.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He said he couldn't give an exact answer, explaining that the issue falls more under the purview of the main rapporteur and had not been discussed by the commission.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Kalle Grünthal is invited to the stage at the start of the address.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal stresses that Estonian islands should be utilizing electricity based on renewable energy. Since he has heard the views of many island residents, he is inviting people to describe how the islands' electricity production and consumption could be managed both during the summer and the winter.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
This is not a topic that has been directly discussed by the commission, and the speaker can only speculate here, as there are also off-grid solutions available that can be used with various types of fuel.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
This address was merely a request for Helle-Moonika Helme to raise a procedural question.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helme noted that the inclusion of the ministry and the committee was done half-heartedly, questioned how such a draft bill even made it to the main chamber, and stressed that the board must ensure that all procedural phases are completed and that no one is left out of the process.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas explained that the draft bill reaches the Riigikogu plenary session upon the proposal of the lead committee, and the Presidium makes the decision. Furthermore, within the scope of a procedural matter, the possibility of interrupting the first reading was discussed, but the current Rules of Procedure Act does not permit this. The proceedings will either continue or the bill will be rejected; there are no other options.
Aivar Kokk
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Aivar Kokk asks whether the commission discussed what will happen to Estonia if biogas is no longer allowed for use in public transport by 2030, and whether this has been discussed, or if the investments and the purchase of buses have turned out to be useless.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Even though it was never directly discussed, as far as I know, the use of biogas is still permitted.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal claims that if Estonia moves entirely to renewable energy, there will be an electricity shortage in winter, because renewable energy production is absolutely zero during the winter, and electricity will be produced all winter using fossil fuels (with the help of generators or tractors), which raises the question of how a Nordic country will manage this situation in the future.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas called upon Kalle Grünthal to speak.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The commission did not discuss this, but there are other liquid energy carriers, such as hydrogen, which may not be cheap, but it is possible.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Vice-Speaker Jüri Ratas called Aivar Kokk and asked him to give a speech.
Aivar Kokk
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Aivar Kokk raised questions regarding why Elering is blocking Estonia’s electricity supply and why the Estlink cable is broken, and how this situation impacts both end-consumers and electricity sellers. He also inquired whether, during the debate on the draft bill, there was any discussion about replacing oil shale boilers with pellet fuel—a project whose total cost would be around 800 million euros and the overall investment approximately two billion, assuming these involve controllable electricity capacities.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
This specific issue has not been discussed during the debate on this particular draft bill, but it was addressed previously in the Economic Affairs Committee, and the consensus there was that wood can be used to make better things.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Chair thanked the speaker for the presentation and the answers. Since there were no questions, the Chair opened the floor for debate and invited the representative of Rain Epler's faction to the rostrum.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler emphasized that Estonia should not join the climate conference declaration and must focus on developing nuclear energy and ensuring energy security, arguing that dependence on weather and gas is risky. Furthermore, he proposed rejecting the draft legislation during its first reading.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas returns the folders, noting that this is environmentally friendly, and invites Aivar Kokk, the representative of the Isamaa faction, to the podium.
Aivar Kokk
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Aivar Kokk criticizes that the Estonian energy sector has made poor decisions in recent years, arguing that Elering’s management and the Estlink outages are causing significant losses to taxpayers. He calls for a transition to using pellet boilers to meet energy needs in order to ensure controllable, affordable, and green electricity, while also demanding an end to the 2030 biofuel investments and an increase in Estonian pellet production.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas requested three minutes of additional time.
Aivar Kokk
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Aivar Kokk criticizes the insufficient cooperation with businesses and the rise in energy prices, citing as examples the rapid construction of the LNG terminal by private investors and the failure to pass on Elering's profits to the final consumer. As a solution, he recommends taking over the use of the gas turbine in cooperation with Eesti Energia, and developing electricity production that utilizes biogas and pellets, so that public transport can run on biogas, making the electricity supply more decentralized and the price more stable.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas asked Andres Sutt, the representative of the Reform Party faction, whether it was five, six, seven, or eight minutes, and noted that the word “up to” must precede that.
Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Andres Sutt believes he can get it done in less than five minutes.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
This is a very short request that the speaker Jüri Ratas expresses in a single word: "Please."
Andres Sutt
AI Summary
Andres Sutt specified that the price of gas increased precisely because there was insufficient connectivity and LNG capacity, rather than because of the war, adding that the current gas price is now roughly at the average level of the last five to ten years.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas asks his colleagues in the chamber for silence and rings the bell.
Andres Sutt
AI Summary
During the presentation, Andres Sutt stated that the price of electricity has dropped significantly: it was 113 eur/MWh in February last year compared to 73 eur/MWh this February. He added that onshore wind is currently the cheapest energy source, followed by solar energy and offshore wind. Sutt argued that the most sensible approach is to invest in renewables to achieve a competitive price and attract further investments to Estonia. Finally, he noted that while the debate on nuclear energy must take place in the Riigikogu and its deployment is not ruled out, it would only occur at least ten years from now.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas concluded the debates and the session, thanked his colleagues, and wished them strength for their work.