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ARCHIVED - Heatwave: Spanish government begs people to go easy on the air conditioning
Spain is currently preparing an energy-saving plan amid fears of supply shortages this winter
The second heatwave of the year has arrived in Spain and with temperatures as high as 45ºC forecast at least until the end of the week, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, has advised the public to keep themselves and their environment safe, and at all costs to avoid the devastating fires which ravaged the country last month.
But a novel warning has been added to the usual precautions: to take it easy on the air conditioning so that electricity prices don’t explode, just as they did during the June heatwave. The extreme temperatures a few weeks ago rather inopportunely coincided with the launch of the government’s price cap on natural gas, a measure that was promised to lower the cost of electricity overnight. The scheme was a resounding flop thanks to the heatwave, and energy prices shot up by ten euros in 24 hours.
“Normally [heatwaves] produce a very notable increase in electricity demand and coincide with photovoltaic generation difficulties,” Ms Ribera explained, adding that there is little option of using solar energy because haze is forecast, while wind power will also be depleted.
She has called for the “prudent use of energy” in the face of an impending energy crisis.
The situation now extends beyond the current heatwave, and the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, has acknowledged the very real possibility that energy could become scarce this winter, necessitating a choice between powering industry and households.
Brussels is currently developing a plan for reducing energy consumption over the coming months that will likely involve replacing gas with other fuels and making better use of renewable. Once this has been published, Spain will complement it with a national energy-saving plan.
Image: Pixabay
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