IEA analysis both praises achievements and highlights weaknesses of the Estonian energy sector

IEA analysis both praises achievements and highlights weaknesses of the Estonian energy sector:

"Ahead of Estonia’s joining by the end of the year the International Energy Agency (IEA), its director Maria van der Hoeven has visited the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and introduced the findings of an IEA analysis of the Estonian energy sector.

Although the report praises the smallest Baltic country’s achievements in pursuing energy security and liberalization, it also has pointed out to Estonia’s three major energy sector weaknesses: dependency on Russian Gazprom gas, electric power market’s poor integration with Western Europe and reliance on oil shale.

While the IEA findings have seemingly already had a sobering effect on Estonian lawmakers, some of whom tend to believe in the endless abundance of the country’s natural gas, another “wake-up” call has come from the least anticipated source, Estonia’s state energy company Eesti Energia’s CEO Sandor Liive, whose comments in Estonian media, following the IEA report, that if the EU continues to stiffen its climate policy, the value of the Estonian oil shale may plummet to zero in 30 to 40 years has caused quite a stir."

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