Prishtina, 12 May, 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, as well as the Administrator of the American Agency for International Development (USAID), Samantha Power, announced today the first auction for the solar energy park with a capacity of 100 MW, this opportunity to invest in a bright energy future.
In front of the many present at this important event, Prime Minister Kurti expressed his gratitude to USAID and their team in Kosovo for the invaluable contribution to the development of our energy sector and for the strong support towards the energy transition.
“The path towards which we are headed is that of independence from the fossil materials of the autocratic states that benefited from Europe’s energy dependence. The growing threats of climate change make the energy transition even more urgent,” said Prime Minister Kurti.
He said, we are making this journey and we will make it with our friend, reliable partner, and powerful ally, the United States of America, which has already proven itself both in terms of our overall development and in terms of building democracy.
Speaking about today’s event, the Prime Minister highlighted that Renewable Energy Auctions are proving to be an increasingly preferred mechanism for governments that have ambitions to combat climate change and achieve energy security. They, he further added, allow us to attract competitive energy on a large scale, while ensuring the most suitable prices for our citizens.
With this Auction, the Prime Minister stated that we join the countries that lead the transition to green energy and embrace an innovative tool to place resources where our values are and to do so at the most affordable price possible for citizens of the Republic.
The Ministry of Economy will organize the first solar auction in the coming months. This is expected to be the first auction that paves the way for many other renewable energy auctions.
During the day, Prime Minister Kurti held a working lunch and then a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office with Administrator Power and the American Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, where they discussed energy security, energy transition and sustainable development, but also the latest developments in the country, for governance, the establishment of the Sovereign Fund and for the Basic Agreement reached in Brussels, with the support of the United States of America.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Thank you very much Minister Rizvanolli,
Dear USAID Administrator Samantha Power,
Dear Ministers, Deputy Ministers and MPs,
Friends and partners,
Dear attendees,
I want to start with a thank you to USAID and their team in Kosovo for the valuable contribution to the development of our energy sector and for the strong support towards the energy transition.
I would like to welcome back Administrator Power, in addition to leading the Agency with the largest bilateral aid portfolio in the world, Administrator Power has devoted much of her time to human rights advocacy within the United Nations as an Ambassador. of the United States of America.
Her career path has been shaped by human rights violations in this region of ours, so we are very lucky to have Mrs. Power guest in Kosovo, which incomparably means the great connection she has compared to many, many others regarding the history of our country and also the importance of an initiative like this one today.
After the unprovoked aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and its people on February 24 of last year, as well as the international energy crisis and inflation that came as a result, it is now indisputable, as Minister Rizvanolli said, that energy security is national security.
The path towards which we are headed is that of independence from the fossil materials of the autocratic states, which benefited from Europe’s energy dependence.
The growing threats of climate change make the energy transition even more urgent.
And we are making this journey and will make it with our friend, reliable partner, and powerful ally, the United States of America, which has already proven itself in terms of our comprehensive development and in terms of building our democracy. This has led us to be even more committed to our vision for a clean and sustainable energy sector and this vision of ours is clear:
To guarantee security of electricity supply so that the citizens and businesses of our country are protected and empowered regardless of external circumstances;
To guarantee energy independence not only for the sector as such, but also for our continent;
To guarantee financial affordability, so that in addition to improving the well-being of our citizens, we also have rapid economic development.
We understand the key role we play in leading this energy transition and in committing to policies, like this auction, that are effective in taking us to the next phase of energy and our economy.
Furthermore, renewable energy auctions are proving to be an increasingly preferred mechanism for governments with ambitions to combat climate change and achieve energy security. They allow us to attract competitive technology at scale, while ensuring the most appropriate prices for our citizens.
With this auction, we join the countries that are leading the transition to green energy and embrace an innovative tool to place resources where our values are and to do so at the most affordable price possible for the citizens of the Republic.
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
The first auction of the Republic of Kosovo for solar energy with a capacity of 100 megawatts fulfills every step of our vision. And beyond that, for one of the key sectors, this auction as a competitive scheme also fulfills the essential goals of our government, which are three:
– First, equal opportunities and fair competition for all actors involved,
– Second, innovation and more affordable prices for citizens, as well
– Third, to guarantee transparency and increase accountability to the citizens of the country.
We are living in the most critical decades of rapid energy development, while we are walking side by side with the developed Western countries to face these developments, to turn the challenges and difficulties of our generation into opportunities for generations. , which come after us.
We are announcing our first auction at a very important moment for our country, when we are taking one of the main steps towards our green transition and towards the biggest investments in our energy sector in decades.
On this occasion, I also want to thank the Ministry of Economy, Minister Rizvanolli, who is shaping our energy future with such precision and is guiding us towards this future with such certainty.
I am pleased to be here today with you and in front of you and I invite international and local companies to join us in the development of this sector.
Thank you!
And now I turn the floor over to our great friend, the honorable lady, administrator Samantha Power.
Last modified: May 15, 2023