Authors: Amogh Matthews and Jonah Kaso
Despite the large number of hydropower plants that produce energy, Albania is still in the middle of an energy crisis with high energy prices for the government and consumers.
One case, in particular, speaks to the severity of the crisis. Liljana Sema from Fieri died of cold on January 26 of this year, as he could not pay the electricity bill. His family members found him dead and alleged that he died after OSHEE cut off his electricity.
Currently, all household consumers in the country pay on average 9.5 ALL per kWh without VAT. The Council of Ministers approved a special decision which provides for cost reduction for low-income families.
With the new method of calculating energy consumption, tariffs and the increase in the price of energy, citizens express their concern that they do not have money to pay for electricity.
"It is becoming more and more difficult for us, but we have nothing to do, we cannot change it because it is a global crisis", says Lefter Selamani, a resident of Tirana.
ET, who is a painter, expresses the same concern.
I lived 54 years as a painter, even today I pay the electricity bill of nineteen thousand lek. I can't take it anymore. I live in debt just to pay to keep the lights on. Have you ever eaten just dry bread every day? This is how we live, I have removed the light bulbs so that we do not waste electricity, as we cannot afford the high energy prices," he said.
A question that Albanians are asking even more often is why this is happening.
Can over-reliance on hydropower be blamed?
In a country with an abundance of sunshine and seasonal drought, relying on too much hydro is seen as dangerous.
The government does not want to answer the question why it continues to approve the construction of hydropower plants. But many experts say such policies are wrong.
"If we continue with the same concepts as currently, even though the government's investment proposals have been along the same lines for years, we will be in crisis and have emergency periods every end of summer or autumn", says Klodian Gradeci , former head of the Transmission System Operator (TSO).
This happens when periods of drought hit the rivers and render hydroelectric plants useless.
A few years ago, Prime Minister Rama promised that no dams would be built in protected natural areas, while today the opposite happened. The Rama government failed to stop the construction of dams in the protected area of the Valbona River.
Also, the government hesitates to declare the river Vjosë a protected area, which would save him from building massive projects that would negatively affect a significant part of Southern Albania.
Until today, hundreds of construction contracts for the construction of dams are expected to be realized, one of them is the contract of the Shušicë river dam (Vlora) in the villages of Brataj, Gjorm and Kotë in Vlora.
At least one of the proposed plant construction projects has met with fierce opposition from local residents.
Since 2018, residents of the Shushica valley have been protesting to stop the construction of these planned dams on their river. They claim that the construction of these hydroelectric plants will result in entire villages being left without water, and this will affect their livestock, agriculture and family income.
Sotir Zahoaliaj, a resident of the village of Brataj, who is against the construction of a HPP in that area, says that the river water risks being taken and put into pipelines up to 7 km.
"The whole area there is completely unexplored archaeologically, there are many ancient things, wars were fought here. We object that it is a bridge, a very ancient work, the water that passes through that bridge will dry up, it is the same as saying "like a mother without children, so is a bridge without water", said Zahoaliaj.
The mayor of the village Qemal Malaj says that the construction of this HPP will negatively affect the livelihood of the residents of the area, livestock, irrigation and fishing.
"In fact, we don't want it to be built at all, as it damages the livestock area and other resources," said Majaj.
Residents say that from the beginning, when they received the notification about the construction of this HPP, they protested and even filed a lawsuit for the suspension of construction in that area. The lawsuit filed by the residents is still pending with no hearing date set yet.
According to AKBN data there are 252 active hydropower concession contracts, while hundreds more are expected to start construction.
According to the data of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, from 2010 to 2021, 96 concession contracts for the construction of hydropower plants were signed, of which only 39 are in operation, while another 57 are supposed to be under consideration.
Also, 87 contracts have been concluded (without concession, of which 29 are in the operational phase) for a production capacity below 2 MW and another 58 remain under consideration.
Ola Miter, environmental journalist, says that the "official" number of hydropower concession contracts is not correct, as there is no electronic register to collect all data on how many contracts have been approved, how many have been suspended, and how many are under consideration , how many have applied for a permit or how many are in force.
Whatever the number, Olsi Nika, Executive Director of EcoAlbania, a local environmental NGO and expert in this field, says that this energy production capacity does not come close to the need to meet the overall energy production capacity that Albania needs.
Nika notes that it has become clear that the construction of small HPPs, which do not make any significant contribution to energy production compared to their socio-ecological footprint (damage), is driven by the desire of businesses to make money. .
"The main promoter is not the production of energy, but the invested money, often also obtained illegally," he says.
When asked about the matter, the government declined to comment.
Miriam Ndini, who holds the title of Doctor of Science in Hydrology, says that the construction of large and small hydropower plants should only proceed after a general study has been completed. The government should not divert a stream of water, however much energy it has the potential to produce, without a feasibility study, she added.
Ndini believes that the construction of four HPPs in a single riverbed would turn the river into a canal and no longer a natural river. She says that due to climate change, the amount of rainfall in the country has started to decrease and not be constant, making small hydropower plants ineffective.
"These are installations without collection tanks, which remove water from the river and when there is a lot of water they don't use much of it effectively, and when there is no rain, they dry up the river as a whole," says Ndini.
Another concern raised by Ndini is that state institutions do not follow strict procedures to guarantee supervision and efficiency in investments for energy production.
"Studies for the projects of these HPPs are carried out haphazardly, and this is due to the fault of the responsible institutions. There used to be special institutions for such projects including the Institute of Marine Works, the Hydrological Institute, the Institute of Hydrotechnical Constructions, which no longer exist. All these institutions ultimately signed and sealed the fate of these investments and took responsibility for everything. Now everything is done individually and now there are no more institutions," she argues.
But some experts do not see the unlimited construction of hydropower plants as bad. Energy expert Pajtim Bello says that the large number of HPPs is not a problem in itself, but is a means to achieve the goal.
However, energy experts, including Pajtim Bellon, are critical of Albania's energy policy after the 1990s, saying it has not focused on diversifying sources of electricity production.
Where is Albania with energy production now?
Currently, Albania has only two sources of electricity: hydropower plants and energy imports from other countries.
According to the energy production data for 2021, on the website of the Albanian Energy Regulatory Authority, hydropower plants have been working at full capacity. The total domestic net production of electricity for the year was 8,962 GWh, of which 59.6% was produced by plants owned by the public production company KESH sh.a., and 40.4% was produced by other HPPs.
The total electricity consumption in 2021 reached 8,415GWh, which seems to be almost on par with production. But despite this fact, Albania is still facing an energy crisis.
"The distribution of production in the periods of the year does not match the consumption because in the dry period the production is significantly less than the consumption and this is a consequence of the resource profile [production through HPPs]," said Bello.
Albania produces a lot of energy during the rainy season, which the country has to export, but on dry days the country is forced to import energy at SALT prices because there is not enough water to produce it.
2020 was an exception. Albania did not import electricity, but only exported it.
Other reasons for the energy crisis
The energy situation in Albania will continue to be affected by the energy crisis in continental Europe with average prices ranging between 300-400 Euro/MWh.
"While all the countries of our region have changed their approach to the free energy market, Albania continues to operate only with the old mechanisms, not efficiently using the relevant funds for the purchase of energy", says energy expert Klodian Gradeci.
Other experts believe that the war in Ukraine has worsened the current energy crisis by raising energy prices across the continent as well as domestically.
Elton Qendro, an environmental expert, believes that the government should think in the long term and focus more on encouraging less energy consumption.
"In this crisis situation where our electricity system is based on domestic production in only one source, short-term measures are limited. So power insurance is paramount, insurance at reasonable prices is equally important. In this situation, only austerity measures are a very important element not only in a crisis situation, but also in a normal situation. The cheapest energy is the energy saved", said Qëndro.
He strongly believes that the government should pursue long-term measures of a strategic and political nature, including diversification of electricity sources, to protect the price and public interests.
"When I talk about diversification, I mean four (4) elements: - diversification of the energy mix; - diversification of supply companies - diversification of supply routes (the country from which energy is imported such as Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro or Greece) - and diversification of geographical resources. As we are aware, Albania in the last two years has been active in licensing a number of photovoltaic plants which require time and maturity for their implementation to enter production." - he says.
Other alternatives for energy production…
While almost 100% of renewable energy in Albania is produced by hydropower plants, there is some progress in the development of solar energy as a new source of electricity.
"Over 2100 kwh/m2/year of energy comes to us free of charge from the sun in Albania - this means more than 300 sunny days a year; why not look for investment opportunities for the use of solar energy, especially in rural areas?" said Aleko Miho, professor of Botany and Environmental Biomonitoring at the University of Tirana.
In 2020, the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku announced that in Divjakë-Karavasta park a photovoltaic park with an energy capacity of 140 megawatts would be built. In 2021, the auction was opened for the photovoltaic park of Spitalla, which would produce energy up to 100 megawatts.
The ministry says that the project Hospital is in the process of fulfilling the preliminary conditions of the contract. Voltalia, the French company expected to build the solar park, is expected to acquire the land it needs in the coming months.
Voltalia has been provided with construction permits, environmental permits and received the necessary permits for the construction of the Karavasta project, which was expected to begin in July and last 12-15 months.
Qendro says the solar projects in the two parks will give the government the right to buy 100MW of power at a regulated price of 24.89 euros per megawatt for 15 years, compared to the current free market price of 200- 250 euros per megawatt.
Based on a report by Assessment of Energy Performance in Buildings that examines energy and poverty, only 2% of people in Tirana use solar energy for water heating. So there is a lot of room for this number to grow.
"Solar power plants from public and private financial sources should reorient policies towards building resources for self-supply where the opportunities are great. When I say the reorientation of policies, I also mean the investment in transmission and distribution networks of electricity to absorb these small but numerous sources that make great power", added Pajtim Bello.
There are also other routes of energy production. Miho notes that the trans-Adriatic gas pipeline is located in Albania, which may make it somewhat easier to meet energy needs and mitigate extreme river use. He suggests commissioning the Vlora Thermal Power Plant.
"There are other alternative sources of energy that should not be forgotten, such as wind energy, biogas, etc. Relying on several alternative sources is more sustainable, longer lasting than relying only on hydroponic sources,” said Miho.
In parallel with the construction of new solar power plants, the government has also promoted the establishment of wind farms, one of which is being built on the Karaburun peninsula. However, this investment also had its opponents, mainly environmentalists.
"Works with heavy machinery or other constructions are not allowed (due to the protected status of the Karaburun peninsula) and in fact the construction of these types of investments is prohibited because these are works that damage the surrounding area," said Ola Miter.
"Breaking the law and destroying the environment is not the solution," she notes.
During the 30 years of democracy, Albania has invested very little money in the construction of large energy production projects, says Grandeci. TEC Vlora was one of the main investments but remains non-functional due to technical problems. The solar panel plant at the Qyrsaq dam in Vau Dejës, with a capacity of 5.4 M, is insufficient, he added.
"The main objective of the government should be the production of energy. If KESH were to build power plants with solar panels, it would best optimize our energy reserves and the company's finances. It would increase the security of production and the suitability of energy from local sources", said Gradeci.
…but why do we continue with the old methods?
Ndini says that HPPs are being built all over Albania because the approval of the project is guaranteed. Getting a permit is easy.
Miho lists several reasons for the construction of so many hydropower plants in Albania.
"We are a country with a lot of surface water, which, among other things, is a hydropower source; in our development, our country needs energy, and case by case to meet the needs, energy is imported (purchased) from abroad; "The energy received from HPPs is considered clean energy, as it does not leave any waste in the environment," he said.
"I and many of my colleagues are not strongly against the construction of HPPs! But all these construction plans are a huge environmental and social burden for the country. This cumulative can never be called "green energy", especially when it comes to constructions within protected areas and within areas with fragile natural values", adds Miho.
Gradeci is not optimistic about the future. If Albania continues on the same path it has followed for years, he predicts that the country will face an energy crisis every late summer and mid-autumn.
Hydropower in the United States
While hydropower is the main source of electricity generation in Albania, hydroelectricity accounts for only 6.3% of total US utility-scale electricity generation, a figure that has decreased over time due to the growth of other sources of electricity. electricity production such as wind and solar.
"Hydropower is (still) a pretty big part of renewable energy generation, and renewable energy generation is becoming more and more a point where we generally get our energy," said Daniel Bresette, Executive Director at the Institute of Environmental and Energy Studies based in Washington DC.
History of hydroelectric power generation
By 1950, hundreds of hydroelectric plants were in operation across the US. Dams not only created power but also provided other functions such as flood control, irrigation and urban water supply. Large-scale multi-purpose dam projects fueled regional growth.
President Franklin Roosevelt promoted the construction of federal hydroelectric projects including the Hoover and Grand Coulee dams in the American West. By 1950, hydroelectric power, or as it was called "white coal", accounted for 30.2% of the country's electricity production.
While Americans praised the construction of dams at the time, author Gabriel Lee in his book Concrete Dreams: The Second Nature of American Progressivism said that “large energy dams were contested spaces that raised a number of poignant questions: How will (dams) dramatically transform river systems and legal claims to a river's water and fisheries? were dams more environmentally destructive than economically productive? Many of these questions remain with us today.''
Hydropower: the energy of the past?
60 years later, and hydroelectric power is not the energy of the future. Dam construction peaked between 1950 and 1969, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In every decade since the 1970s, the US has built fewer dams than in any previous decade.
The environmental movement of the 1960s and 70s shed light on the damage that dam building can cause to ecosystems and led to important legislation. This included the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impact of their proposed actions before making decisions. This curbed the growth of large-scale dam construction in the future.
Today, America's dams are aging. The 2021 Report Card on America's Infrastructure reports that the average age of US dams is 57 years. Since many dams were built decades ago, many dams in operation do not meet current safety standards according to congressional research reports.
Approximately 15,600 dams in the United States are classified as high-risk structures, according to America's Infrastructure Report Card. High risk structures are defined as those in which the failure or malfunction of the structure is expected to result in loss of life and significant economic and environmental losses.
Dams may also have a greater climate impact than is often acknowledged.
"The initial construction of the dams releases tremendous amounts of carbon pollution as the land floods." said Johanna Neumann, senior director for Environment America, an advocacy group. She added that dams are not "infinitely" renewable as some might think. "Eventually over the decades, the dam wears away as sediments accumulate. You have less and less energy production until eventually the dam produces nothing.''
"This is an absurd way to run an energy system. By switching to solar, switching to wind and doubling down on reducing energy loss to the grid, we can solve our energy problems," said Neumann.
So what is the answer?
Hydropower isn't the answer to achieving a 100% carbon-neutral US, but it can be part of it, experts say.
"Having access to many different sources of energy is a powerful step. We have hydropower resources in the US Northwest, wind resources in the Midwest, and solar resources in the Sun Belt. A modern grid must be able to integrate renewable energy and ensure there is enough to meet demand," said Bresette.
One of the most promising technologies today is solar energy. In 2020, solar installations spread across the country produced about 3000 MWdc according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Distributed solar energy is electricity produced at or near where it will be used, reducing transmission waste over power lines. This means that a person can install a solar panel on their roof to reduce energy costs, and even sell the extra electricity produced back to the utility company. The process of compensating for energy sold back into the grid is called net metering.
But there is a problem…
According to IBISWorld, an industry research report, the switch to solar power undercuts the $645 billion U.S. utility industry.
As more people install residential solar panels, the less money utility companies make. For example, California, a pioneer in getting consumers to go solar, has the equivalent of 10 million solar-powered homes, far more than any other state, according to SEIA. But California's switch to solar power has sparked a strong backlash from utility companies.
"A misconception people have is that utilities make money by selling energy, but they actually make money by moving energy over long distances," said Bernadette del Chiaro, Executive Director of the California Solar & Storage Association.
"Utility companies have this built-in disincentive to support distributed generation (on-site electricity generation) and have a built-in incentive to transport power over long distances to places where people live, work and use energy," Chiaro explained.
By blocking solar energy
Many experts say utilities have slowed the adoption of distributed solar across the country by curtailing or eliminating net metering policies and framing solar adoption as an issue of class and race.
In 2019, Ohio utility FirstEnergy engaged in a massive $61 million bribery and influence peddling campaign that resulted in the passage of a law that removes state incentives for renewable energy development and charges consumers financially to bail out the industry. of coal and nuclear power plants. Similar tactics involving political donations, lobbying, funding of fraudulent anti-solar initiatives and more have been used across the country, including states like Illinois, Kansas and Florida.
Utility companies have also propagated the myth that solar energy is hurting the poor and helping the rich.
A public relations campaign by Edison Electric of California claims that the use of solar energy is a "cost shift". Del Chiaro says their argument is that "those who use solar power are rich, white, and don't pay for the grid, but instead put the entire burden of the grid on poor, non-white people who they cannot afford to use solar energy".
"And (the campaign) has so much power behind it that they have political power. So they are very generous in their donations to the legislature and to the governor," Chiaro said.
Another argument used against distributed solar, such as rooftop solar panels, is the fact that it is much cheaper to build large-scale solar or wind farms. But Bryn Huxtley-Reicher, one of the authors of "Blocking Rooftop Solar," a report by the Federation of State Public Interest Groups, argues that distributed and utility-scale solar can be used to wean the grid off its dependence on fossil fuels. . fuels and preventing further environmental damage.
"It is not a situation if and or. It's a "Yes…and…." The sooner we can get renewable energy on the grid and the less energy we need to switch from fossil fuels to renewables, the better," said Huxtley-Reicher.
The future of solar energy
"Solar is already starting to outpace hydro," Chiaro said.
Solar panel installations in the U.S. are expected to quadruple from nearly 100 GWdc of installed capacity today to more than 400 GWdc installed by 2030, according to SEIA. Additionally, the Energy Information Administration predicts that the share of all electricity generation from renewable sources, particularly wind and solar, will increase from 21% in 2020 to 42% in 2050. As technologies become cheaper , more people are likely to use it.
Ben Delman, senior director of communications at Solar United Neighbors says that “the cost of solar energy has come down significantly in the last 5 to 10 years. People are starting to question more and more whether it is worth it as an investment for them and their families.
Currently, the Biden administration plans to take advantage of the falling cost of solar energy. The White House announced in June that it will allow developers to source solar modules and cells from other countries and authorized the US Department of Energy to rapidly expand US production of solar panel parts. This is part of Biden's goal to eliminate carbon emissions from the energy sector by 2035.
“For the future, better public education about solar energy and an assurance that homeowners, families and consumers receive fair credit for the electricity they produce are needed. People are starting to connect energy prices with bigger issues in the world,” added Delman.
