Agenda Profile: Rain Epler
Draft law amending the Electricity Market Act (556 SE) – third reading
2025-05-14
15th Riigikogu, 5th sitting, plenary session
Political Position
The political position is strongly opposed to the government's renewable energy obligation and the bill under consideration (556 SE), as they generate uncertainty and potentially high costs. The most salient topic is energy policy, where emphasis is placed on developing dispatchable capacity and targeting nuclear energy in the long term. The position is strongly policy- and results-driven, criticizing the ideological approach.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates profound expertise in the energy sector, utilizing technical terminology (such as the frequency market, reserve capacity, TWh) and referencing the inaccuracy of Elering's analyses. He focuses on the physical and economic logic of the energy system, stressing the necessity of dispatchable capacity and the impact of carbon allowance prices. He relies on expert opinion that Estonia faces a challenge regarding dispatchable capacity.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is critical and confrontational, accusing opponents of lying ("Lied in two aspects") and ideological blindness. Logical and data-driven arguments are employed, contrasting them with the officials' "dreams" and unreasonable policies. The tone is ironic, referring to certain aspects of the draft bill as a "quite funny" situation.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The speaker is active in parliamentary debates, participating in the third reading of the bill and referencing frequent prior appearances on energy topics ("I have spoken quite a lot here").
2 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The main opponents are coalition politicians (the Reform Party), social democrats, and the officialdom, who are criticized for setting unrealistic goals and ignoring analyses. The criticism is intense, going so far as to accuse opponents of outright lying and prioritizing ideology over physics and mathematics. Compromise is ruled out, as there is a direct call to vote against the draft legislation.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
Insufficient data.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
The focus is on Estonia's national energy policy and consumption figures (8.3 TWh vs 15 TWh). The international context is utilized as a benchmark, emphasizing Latvia's decision to halt the development of wind parks on public lands and Germany's shifting stance on hydrogen.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Economic perspectives emphasize cost control and fiscal responsibility, warning against unreasonable overinvestment in renewable energy. Ideological commitments are economically detrimental, and energy production must be based on profitability and dispatchability. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is considered economically unviable, as it would require the quota price to rise to 200 euros.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
Not enough data.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The primary legislative focus is opposition to the draft amendment of the Electricity Market Act (Bill 556 SE). The speaker is a strong opponent of this bill and urges a vote against it. More broadly, the priority is the development of dispatchable energy generation capacities and transitioning toward nuclear energy.
2 Speeches Analyzed