'..European governments also need to prepare the people of Europe for what may be coming. Public awareness campaigns in the context of an energy crisis have been successful previously in reducing short-term energy demand by several percent. Every action counts. Simple steps such as turning down the heating by a couple of degrees in Europe can save the same amount of natural gas that is supplied over the winter by the Nord Stream pipeline.''In this difficult context, I would like to propose five concrete actions that European leaders need to take for a more coordinated, EU-wide approach to prepare for the coming winter.
1. Introduce auction platforms to incentivise EU industrial gas users to reduce demand. Industrial gas consumers can offer part of their contracted gas supply as demand reduction products for compensation, which can lead to efficiency gains and a competitive bidding process. We have already seen auction models being developed in Germany and proposed in the Netherlands.
2. Minimise gas use in the power sector. This can be done by temporarily increasing coal and oil-fired generation while accelerating deployment of low-carbon sources, including nuclear power where it is politically acceptable and technically feasible.
3. Enhance coordination among gas and electricity operators across Europe, including on peak-shaving mechanisms. This can help reduce the impact of lower gas use on power systems. It should include strict cooperation on the operation of thermal power plants at national and European levels.
4. Bring down household electricity demand by setting cooling standards and controls. Government and public buildings should take the lead on this to set an example while campaigns should encourage behavioural changes among consumers.
5. Harmonise emergency planning across the EU at the national and European level. This should cover measures for supply curtailments and solidarity mechanisms. To get through the current crisis, the EU needs unified action.
If these types of measures are not implemented now, Europe will be in an extremely vulnerable position and could well face much more drastic cuts and curtailments later on.
In addition to the measures above, European governments also need to prepare the people of Europe for what may be coming. Public awareness campaigns in the context of an energy crisis have been successful previously in reducing short-term energy demand by several percent. Every action counts. Simple steps such as turning down the heating by a couple of degrees in Europe can save the same amount of natural gas that is supplied over the winter by the Nord Stream pipeline.'
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Coordinated actions across Europe are essential to prevent a major gas crunch: Here are 5 immediate measures, July 18, 2022
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