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This POLICY ANSWERS Brief was prepared in November 2022 by Alban Hashani, responsible organisation is the Riinvest Institute
The energy sector, especially electricity production, continues to remain one of the most problematic sectors in Kosovo*.1Consumers face low-quality and unstable electricity supply, which has become a barrier to Kosovo’s economic development. As a result of the sector’s improper management for more than two decades, Kosovo continues to depend heavily on unplanned electricity imports. In circumstances where a portion of the current generating capacities are operating at their limits due to significant technological and time-related depreciation, the energy treatment issue becomes even more urgent. However, such urgency should not in any way hinder proposed solutions from passing through a filter that weighs costs and benefits qualitatively in terms of alternative choices.
At the same time, with the global energy supply crisis, which is also being felt with all its severity in Kosovo, the development strategy for the energy sector for the period 2022-2031 is being discussed. The draft Energy Strategy in Kosovo is designed to apply a new approach through investments in current production capacities, the transformation towards renewable energy sources, and higher integration of Kosovo’s energy sector into the regional and international market to meet the growing consumption needs. In this context, the draft strategy has aroused interest not only among energy experts, civil society, and political forces but also among the general public and has been accompanied by opposing debates. Therefore, a higher level of local consensus is still desirable for this important document.
The Riinvest Institute has been following these discussions and organised a panel discussion on this document on 4 November 2022, as part of the ‘Green Talks’ debates and the Green Action Space platform which was launched in collaboration with the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society (KFOS). This brief analysis aims to outline the main issues arising from this discussion and other debates in society, as well as to offer some recommendations and suggestions regarding the draft strategy.
The report outlines the general situation of the energy sector in Kosovo and provides views on the draft energy strategy of Kosovo 2022-2031. It concludes with recommendations about the draft energy strategy of Kosovo 2022-2031.