Within the framework of his working visit to Ivano-Frankivsk President Yushchenko held a consultative meeting on energy saving state policy.
Opening the meeting President Yushchenko stressed that elaborating effective energy saving strategy is on of national priorities and important factor to energy security of the state. Therefore, according to him, at today’s meeting he would like to hear constructive suggestions on formation of state policy in that field.
President Yushchenko also reminded that the subject of energy saving gained special topicality after Ukraine and Russia have reached new gas agreements. He said that the price of 450 US dollars per one thousand cubic meters of gas is very high and therefore state authorities should work out new energy resources consumption for both business and private sector.
President Yushchenko reminded that Ukraine consumes about 209 million tons of fuels with 79 million tons or one third of total amount being renewable sources of energy according to calculations made by specialists from the Institute of Renewable Energy. “In fact, by 2010 alternative sources of energy could reach 25 to 30 percent of those used, if relevant national program on energy saving and renewable energy implementation is realized”, - he said adding although that for now utilization of renewable energy resources unfortunately is around 1 percent out of the whole.
President Yushchenko announced that in 30 days he would gather a national consultative meeting dedicated to energy saving and urged those present to begin elaboration of programs and action plans in the field to provide answers to the most topical issues in the policy.
He also addressed the present representatives from the Government with the request to provide support to regions of Ukraine, which are to prepare their pilot projects on energy saving and utilization of renewable sources of energy.
