The current energy crisis, aggravated by the conflict in Ukraine, is serving as a framework for political decisions with a clear economic impact. It is observed how restrictions on imports are justified and national infrastructure projects are accelerated citing the emergency. This scenario seems to ensure stable revenues and benefits for local companies in the sector, raising doubts about the balance between energy security and other interests.
Critical Infrastructure and Technological Dependence 🏗️
The bet on national infrastructures, such as regasification plants or extraction platforms, consolidates a specific technological model. These facilities require specialized maintenance and create long-term dependence on their operation. At the same time, investments in demand management technologies or more flexible electrical interconnections are relegated or slowed down, which could offer resilience without tying the supply to a single energy vector.
The War: The Multi-Purpose Joker for Energy Policy 🃏
It is curious how the same geopolitical event is used to justify opposite realities. Before, to halt renewables due to their cost; now, to boost national gas for its security. It feels like, in the ministries' drawer, there is only one stamp: FOR THE WAR. The next thing will be to use the conflict to explain why electricity prices rise in summer. That said, always with a tone of grave national concern.