By Trend
Georgia has historically focused on hydropower, USAID is
supporting diversification into wind and solar, renewable sources
which are expected to be less vulnerable to climate change, the
USAID mission in Tbilisi told Trend.
USAID is prioritizing Georgia’s energy sector for several
reasons.
"First, a stronger, more diversified energy sector helps Georgia
build resilience against malign influence. Current energy imports
are heavily reliant on partners who have demonstrated their
willingness to use energy as a political weapon against democratic
gains," said the source.
According to USAID, investing in sustainable, renewable domestic
energy production decreases Georgia’s dependence on those
unreliable partners, freeing it to continue to advance towards its
goal of Euro-Atlantic integration.
Second, growth and improvements in living standards across
Georgia require reliable, sustainable energy investments, said the
source.
"As Georgia continues to modernize, more households will need
reliable, affordable access to electricity for their daily lives,
and more enterprises will need reliable, affordable electricity to
expand their production, increase their economic activity, and
create new jobs. In order to ensure that access, new investments
must be made, and, to ensure that those investments are beneficial
for the Georgian populace and private sector, those investments
need to be in sustainable sources of energy," said the USAID.
Third, responsible, sustainable, clean energy sector development
is important for the future of the planet as we face the shared
challenge of global warming added the source.
"Georgia’s National Climate Strategy set an ambitious goal of
reducing GHG emissions to 35 percent by 2030, and the US Government
continues to push to reach net-zero climate emissions by 2050.
Promoting domestic sustainable energy production helps Georgia meet
those goals while providing high-value employment, higher quality
of life with reduced pollution, and increased freedom from
unreliable partners," said the source.
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