The Public Power Corporation’s (PPC) strategic intention to lead developments while effectively facing the current challenges was highlighted by the group’s president and CEO, George Stassis.
In his speech at the Southeast Europe Energy Forum conference organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce (AHCC) in Thessaloniki, Stassis focused on today’s complicated international environment. As he pointed out, almost three years have passed since the Russian attack on Ukraine and a crisis is still raging in the Middle East. Therefore, the debate on energy security is more necessary than ever.
At the same time, there is the climate crisis. Building a secure energy system in our region requires strong partnerships, and cooperation between Southeast Europe and the United States is critical.”
Stassis began his speech by setting the framework for the energy sector in Europe, emphasizing the dual challenge it is called upon to face. On the one hand is energy security, which is under pressure from the two ongoing geopolitical crises in the wider region. On the other hand, there is the “climate and energy crisis”, as he described it, with extreme heat waves and pressure on water reserves.
Referring to the issue of energy prices, the head of the PPC Group stressed that energy security has a high cost which is an important issue for South East Europe. The solution is Renewable Energy Sources but key to their successful development is flexibility. In this context, Stassis pointed towards a common regulatory environment.
“A regulatory alignment between our countries is of the utmost importance as it will eliminate price discrepancies and unlock future growth. We also know the importance of partners and, in general, what it takes to make the energy transition while ensuring energy security,” Stassis noted and added: “This is our mission and the main driver behind all decisions. Decisions like our investments in Alexandroupolis, an area that is becoming of utmost importance for Europe’s energy security.”
