EU: Piebalgs warns against Gazprom dominance

Russian energy giant OAO Gazprom should not be allowed to dictate Europe’s energy supply, a senior EU official said Friday, adding that the coming, EU-mandated switch to less-polluting renewables will entail additional costs for many.

“I am not worried about dependence on Russia in oil as long as we have diversity of supply,” European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said. “The problem is not Russia, the problem is that Gazprom is a monopoly supplier.”
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Piebalgs warned, however, that switching from fossil fuels would come at a price.

“For all the stakeholders, it involves some additional costs” by wholesalers and retailers.

The EU’s drive to cut carbon emissions was being done “in the most economical way, but still there are costs,” he said.

International Herald Tribune