Bulgaria Must Become Self-Sufficient In Energy

Having gone through last winter in Bulgaria with gas supplies cut off I know how much suffering the Bulgarian people in cities an and town around the country. I can understand how the attitude about not becoming a slave for power to other countries looms as an important political problem to solve.

This of course has always been the case in the village where people that live there are more or less self-sufficient in heating with local wood as fuel. This of course is not the answer in urban areas. There are now new wind farms going up, nuclear power station now re-opened and sources of gas now from other countries not just Russia. Another winter like last year where many businesses folded must not happen again. Where was the help and support from the EU when Bulgaria needed it last winter? You can see why there is apathy for the EU from this.

'Changing attitudes'

Bulgaria was the hardest hit, losing its supplies in the midst of the coldest winter for years.


As a result of the crisis, there's been a complete change in the attitude in Bulgaria... Everybody realises now we have to focus on our energy independence
Ivo Prokopiev, Bulgarian Confederation of Industrialists

An estimated 800,000 homes were left without proper heating and vital factories were forced to either cut production or shut down altogether. Business leaders say total losses amounted to $300m (£187m).

"It was very unpleasant," says Dragomir Simeonov, as he plays with his young son in their small apartment in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

They had endured much of January with minimal heating.

"This is the 21st Century, we live in the European Union and such crisis should not impact on us. We should be more secure," he adds.

Mr Simeonov is the voice of his nation. He is one of Bulgaria's best-known radio presenters.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk
Image by nualabugeye via Flickr