Czech Government's Energy Plan Criticized for Underestimating Renewables

The Czech government has confirmed that it plans to phase out coal mining by 2033 and oil and natural gas by 2050. This is part of its energy and climate plan, which it submitted to the European Commission for comments.

According to Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela, electricity consumption in Czechia will increase by approximately one tenth by 2030 due to the development of electric mobility, industry electrification, and heating electrification. The government aims to offset this growth with a significant decline in energy consumption from coal and an increase in renewable energy sources.

Environment Minister Petr Hladík emphasized that the plan relies on a combination of nuclear power and renewables. He noted that the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in gross final consumption should reach 30% by 2030, with a goal of reaching 10 GWe of installed solar capacity and 1.5 GWe of wind capacity by the same year.

However, NGOs such as Greenpeace and Hnutí Duha believe that Czechia is not making full use of its domestic potential to meet European Union targets. They argue that the approved draft plan significantly overestimates the potential for building nuclear power plant units and relies on unrealistic commissioning dates.