Ursula von der Leyen said governments should remain focused on “huge investments in renewable energy”. “We must ensure that we use this crisis to move forward and not give in to dirty fossil fuels,” she said in an interview. “It’s a fine line and it’s not up to us to make the right turn.” Countries are worried about further cuts in gas supplies, which EU leaders claim have been orchestrated by the Kremlin. The forthcoming increase in coal use, albeit temporary, has sparked concerns that European countries could use the crisis to delay the transition to less polluting alternatives. Rob Jetten, the Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy, said on Monday that the country would change laws requiring coal-fired power plants to operate at a maximum capacity of 35%. Germany and Austria announced an urgent restart of their coal plants on Sunday, after Russia reduced the capacity of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by 60% last week. The pipeline, which crosses the Baltic Sea to Germany, is one of the main Russian gas pipelines to Europe. EU officials are concerned that Moscow could further cut supplies before winter. Russia has blamed the reduction on capacity for technical issues affecting the pipeline. However, he refused to cover the deficit through other pipeline routes. A Nord Stream 2 gas station in Lubmin, Germany © Krisztian Bocsi / Bloomberg Other EU countries, including Italy, are expected to follow Germany in restarting its coal-fired power plants. Member States are facing growing economic pressures due to energy shortages, with reference prices in Europe rising by more than 50 per cent last week. Gas is at least six times more expensive in the eurozone than it was before the pandemic. Von der Leyen said the EU had taken “emergency measures” to respond to the threat of supply cuts from Russia, including energy saving measures and “priority” for gas-receiving industries. He praised Germany’s recent efforts to save energy, saying it was one of the EU’s most effective tools. The chairman of the Commission cited data showing that European gas consumption fell by 9 percent in the first quarter, compared to the same period last year. Industry has reduced gas use in part in response to near-record prices. If consumers lower the thermostats by 2 degrees Celsius, it could significantly reduce gas consumption, he added. The EU wants to speed up plans to increase production from renewable sources, and is finding ways to diversify its gas supplies, such as transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from other regions. Von der Leyen said that the Commission did everything possible so that in the future the EU could say “we made the right choices”.

Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has added urgency to the EU ‘s plans to focus on renewable energy sources. According to the “REPowerEU” plan, the block aims to reduce dependence on Russian energy, diversify gas sources and expand wind and solar capacity. Von der Leyen highlighted a recent trip to the eastern Mediterranean, where the EU hopes that gas supplies from the waters of Israel, Cyprus and Egypt could eventually provide additional LNG to Europe. He also said that producers such as Norway and Azerbaijan were “boosting” production by giving the EU alternatives to Russian gas supplies, which accounted for up to 40 percent of the bloc before the invasion of Ukraine. REPowerEU will increase investment in renewable energy and streamline design regulations so that projects, including wind farms, can be built faster, he said. “We know it is not only good for our climate, but also for our energy security and independence.”