Leo Brincat, Labour Party spokesman for the environment, said Minister George Pullicino said some time ago he would be asking the EU to review downwards Malta’s targets on alternative energy if the Sikka l-Bajda wind farm project turned out to be not viable.
A ministry spokesman had first ridiculed the proposal by environmentalist Prof. E.A. Mallia for a wind farm on Gozo but earlier this week people were given to understand that the proposal had not been discarded totally but that no studies had been commissioned about it.
Mr Brincat said the Labour Party would take a position about a Gozo wind farm after it was sure that serious, technical and independent studies had been undertaken about the proposed site.
A ministry statement showed that countries which had joined the EU with Malta, such as Cyprus, had overtaken Malta in the sector.
The government should have the courage to say what alternative sites for electricity generation it is prepared to consider if the Sikka l-Bajda turned out to be unsuitable, and what remedies it would assume, apart from incineration, for the EU targets for Malta to be achieved, which are to produce 10 per cent of energy in 10 years’ time through alternative means, Mr Brincat said.