POLITICS
EU energy security in the spotlight at TEAS Labour Conference event
The two senior politicians present, Tom Greatrex, Shadow Energy Minister, and Graham Stringer, Energy and Climate Change Committee member, were already well-versed in this vital and complex issue. They stressed the role of Azerbaijan for Western Europe.
Jack Pegoraro, UK Public Affairs Manager, TEAS, explained the background to current pan-European energy crisis: “We need to understand that nearly half of the UK’s electricity is generated from natural gas. UK production is falling rapidly, and has fallen by 30 per cent during the past three years. By 2020, we are going to be importing about 70 per cent of the UK’s needs. Already the National Grid is predicting that there will be blackouts this winter as the UK’s ageing power stations provide insufficient electricity to meet demand and experience unscheduled shutdowns. The Ukraine situation has placed the EU’s energy insecurity in the spotlight. Russia provides about 30 per cent of the EU’s gas supply, and its policies demonstrate that diversity of supply is essential. Even though no Russian gas actually reaches the UK, any hike in EU gas prices automatically impacts energy prices in the UK.”
At his words, all theses factors rises the role of Azerbaijan in energy security of Europe.