The Energy Ministry and the Opposition have taken aim at each other over Malta's renewable energy targets.
The Nationalist Party on Saturday hit out at the government, arguing that the latter did not manage to reach the 10% renewable energy target for 2020, and that the government had announced that it signed an agreement with Estonia for the transfer of statistics so that the latter would give part of their extra percentage to Malta. "In other words, the Maltese people are paying the Estonian people for the Labour government's incompetance."
The Energy Ministry argued that since the energy targets were forecast, industrial and commercial development took place, the population rose, there were tourism records proken and affluence increased. "Aside from this, the supply of total electricity in the country, both generated from power stations, the intercommector and through alternative sources, between 2014 and 208, rose by nearly 20%.
"Official statistics show that the generation of electricity from alternative energy sources rose by 270% between 2014 and 2018," the Energy Ministry said.
It then said that between 2004 and 2012 (over 8 years ago), energy generation from alternative sources only rose by 2.9%.
The ministry said that while the official statistics for 2019 are not yet out, "it is clear that the target was almost reached, and said that this year a number of schemes and initiatives to continuously increase the generation of alternative energy will be issued.
The ministry also said that if it were up to the Opposition, Malta would still be using heavy fuel oil.