“Bad Timing,” Power Speculators, and What Independence Really Means: A Discussion on Climate and Energy Policy After the Ministerial Change

Authors: Madara Fridrihsone (Editor of the LTV program “Kas notiek Latvijā?”) 17.10.2023

At the end of last year, the newly established Ministry of Climate and Energy has so far been primarily occupied with “building the ministry itself,” while “working on content” has been late, participants representing both environmental and energy sectors noted in the second episode of the October 13 cycle “What Should Evika Siliņa’s Government Do?”.

In the studio of the program “Kas notiek Latvijā?”, the discussion on the ministry’s tasks—defining national goals and interests in climate, environmental, and energy policy—was attended by: the new Minister of Climate and Energy, Kaspars Melnis (The Union of Greens and Farmers); the Prime Minister’s Parliamentary Secretary Jānis Patmalnieks (New Unity); Roberts Samtiņš, Chairman of the Board of the company group AJ Power; Jānis Brizga, Director of the NGO Green Liberty; Ivars Zariņš, Executive Director of the Latvian Association of Electrical Engineers and Energy Builders; and economist Justs Dimants from the Latvian Sustainibility Cluster Latvia Association.

The key moments of the discussion can be viewed by clicking the links in the timeline:

• It has been less than a year since the establishment of the Ministry of Climate and Energy. Has it proven itself?

• The process by which various documents are developed in the new ministry is not particularly inclusive, at least regarding environmental organizations, evaluates Jānis Brizga from Green Liberty. In his opinion, work on substantive content has so far been neglected.

• What will happen with the Sadales tīkls tariffs? The problem has been postponed, not resolved, emphasizes Samtiņš. Meanwhile, Dimants notes that a more thorough tariff “revision” is necessary.

• Melnis admits that tariff forecasts should also include long-term investment plans. “The absence of strategy is a very serious problem,” says the new minister.

• Brizga emphasizes that the most difficult task is agreeing on how the joint emission reduction targets are “allocated by sector.”

• Was the decision to abandon the construction of the liquefied natural gas terminal in Latvia premature?“Too slow, too late.”

• “Too slow, too late.”

• The role of public and private investors in increasing the share of renewable energy.

• That demand for connection capacity would rise could have been predicted already five years ago, emphasizes Dimants from the Sustainability Cluster Latvia.

• The minister’s family business and related conclusions.

• Is it possible to balance the interests of coastal residents with plans for wind farm development?

• “What do we really mean by independence?”

• The National Climate and Energy Council has not convened for two years.

• When will the Ministry of Climate and Energy take responsibility for the environmental sector?