In an extraordinary step to reduce energy costs, the Albanian government has ordered all cities to turn off lights in public buildings and streets when not in use. The order comes as the government faces an energy crisis caused by drought and power price spikes.
Fierza Hydroelectric Power plant in Albania. Credit: Tobias Klenze, CC-BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
In an extraordinary step to reduce energy costs, the Albanian government has ordered all cities to turn off lights in public buildings and streets when not in use. The order comes as the government faces an energy crisis caused by drought and power price spikes.
The country’s state power utility KESH on Sunday halted 11 of 13 electricity turbines at hydropower plants as the scarcity of water forced Albania to import most of its electricity.
Albania, completely dependent on electricity produced by its hydroelectric plants, is trying to change it by diversifying its energy production. The government has started issuing permits to wind and solar companies. The country of 2.8 million people has no installed electricity generation from fossil fuels.
However, Albania also faced an energy crisis at the beginning of last year, along with other European countries, when power prices rose by up to five times. Lack of rainfall in recent months and overuse of its water reserves have worsened an already bad situation.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further increased energy prices and the Albanian government in Tirana said that prices may go up to €1,000/MWh. Energy Minister Belinda Balluku said: “There will be no rain in the next two weeks and things are only getting worse, that’s why we have to rely on imports. From today, imports will be higher than domestic production and at this moment we have only two generators that are working at the Drin river cascade.”
KESH reported that water reserves in its 3 water basins on the Drin were only 315 GWh, against 1230 GWh last year. A similar situation is reported at other smaller private hydropower plants, which account for around 40% of production. Albania has refused to raise prices for households and is covering the cost of importing power from the state budget. The government has said it will have to inject around €550 million to cover imported power, but some experts say that may reach up to €1 billion.
Read more about the European electricity prices crisis here.
