The European Union will temporarily shift back to coal to cope with dwindling Russian natural gas flows without derailing longer term climate goals, an EU official said on Wednesday as a tight natural gas market and soaring prices set off a race for alternative fuels, Reuters reported.
To cope with natural gas shortfalls, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Europe must replace Russian energy supplies while boosting efficiency and renewables, including nuclear power.
In a statement to Reuters, IEA chief Fatih Birol said Russia might continue to find excuses to cut supplies or halt them altogether as winter approached. Russia has denied that its supply cuts are premeditated.
Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands have signaled that coal-fired power plants could plug supply gaps, even as Germany gears up to host a Group of Seven summit having reaffirmed a commitment to ambitious climate change goals.
