Czech Republic's chaotic energy policy

The Czech government on Wednesday decided to end subsidies for solar energy systems claiming they lead to a rise in electricity prices. The liberal daily Pražský deník calls the current energy policy chaotic: "It is completely unclear how much more expensive electricity would become as a result of solar energy systems. [The partially state-owned monopoly] ČEZ talks of 15 percent, the solar industry of seven, while certain independent analysts say it would become up to 30 percent more expensive. To make matters worse, the Bloomberg news agency claims that coal and gas power plants which run on fossil fuels receive ten times more in public subsidies worldwide than the renewable energies. It's hard to imagine a more chaotic debate. ... A proper debate would probably reveal that the optimum is an energy mix which is easy on the environment as well as our purses. The sun has the least to answer for in all this."

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