Energy Poverty is Here

Something rather momentous is happening…

Driving to work, I have to pass through woods that were planted on the hill over centuries by the Schwarzenberg family that used the castle I work in as a residence and later as a hunting lodge. I saw and elderly, rather uncouth gentleman collecting tree branches. Energy poverty has arrived to my country.

At another instance, a friend of my sitting in a clandestine pub of ours (pubs were regulated out of existence here), said he finds it difficult to pay for the variety of fuels available in shops. My friend lives in a 16th century house, which does not have the insulation of modern homes. Heating homes with gas or electricity is a luxury for many in this country (the Czech Republic).

The EU seems to have reached the fruits of its labour. For years, I have heard about divesting from Russian energy, about making life hell for Gazprom. I have seen sanctions against the Russian energy sector. I have read claims that the countries of Europe will build a renewable infrastructure that will leave Gazprom in the cold. But the situation today is that prices of gas are through the roof. There is a deficit. Prices of electricity are also high and there isn’t any renewable energy infrastructure to make it cheaper.

Heck, there haven’t been any nuclear reactors installed in the Czech lands since the 1980s. Today the EU wants us to phase out coal, which is 20% of our energy output. But what do you think the people responsible for energy in the Czech Republic are suggesting? More renewable. More solar and more wind. However, there have been government subsidies for solar for years, and this scheme was absolutely corrupt. What makes anyone believe this time will be different?

The solution is to let the Russians deliver and distribute gas but our pride will not allow this to happen. Know this, the Western governments would rather have their people freeze in winter than make honest deals with the Russians…