MOSCOW, November 11. /TASS/. The EU policy has led to a sharp increase in the dependence of power grids on weather conditions and a drop in electricity generation during winter, Alexey Grivach, Deputy Director of the National Energy Security Fund, told TASS.
"One of the key results of the EU energy policy in recent years has been a sharp rise in the power system's dependence on the weather factor. In the winter period, when there is much less sunlight than in summer and heating needs increase dramatically, the risks of local or even systemic shortages become very high," Grivach said.
Reduced output at hydroelectric power plants could lead to an electricity shortage, forcing Scandinavian countries to increase imports from neighbors that operate gas-and coal-fired power plants, the expert noted.
"Since there is an acute crisis on the European gas market, with extremely high prices and even the threat of shortages during the heating season, for Scandinavians this means the exact same thing - surging electricity prices in the best-case scenario," he added.
The consequences of rising electricity prices will affect the region's economy as a whole, the population, and state budgets, Grivach said.