If ‘Energy, the PN, Spin, and the Washing Machine’ was a good title, it is not anymore. In an opinion piece published today, Adrian Delia sets the tone of the PN’s approach to Energy Policy. Delia, in no uncertain terms removes any doubts on what lies ahead should the PN be re-elected to Government.

In the PN’s own words Malta’s energy policy relies heavily, if not almost entirely, on continued public spending. And for the PN, relying on public funds is not, in itself, a long term solution. We knew this already right? But hang in there as there is more to it. Delia explains how energy subsidies come at a significant cost, potentially hundreds of millions of euros annually. And for the PN, or better in the PN’s own words, every euro spent in energy subsidies is a euro that cannot be invested elsewhere.

And to remove any doubt on where the PN is heading he goes on to ask whether the energy crisis war chest is a one off buffer, and at what cost stability is being attained and for how long. To the extent to label the current approach as a false sense of security.

But is it true that every euro spent in energy subsidies is a euro that cannot be invested elsewhere? It is exactly the opposite. Let’s delve a bit deeper in this. Most importantly, every euro invested in energy stability is guaranteed to further secure good quality of life across Malta’s society, from penionsers to our youngsters. Secondly, each euro invested in energy stability, is enabling further investment. Investment secures current jobs and even creates better quality ones. Employability remains high, the economy keeps growing, and wealth continues to trickle down across all the population.

What a far cry from when the PN was last in Government. For those of you that are lucky enough to be too young to remember the last time the PN was managing Malta’s energy sector, to the energy crisis of the time, it did not react with subsidies. It proudly enacted the highest ever energy billing rates, whilst trying to sweeten the very sour pill with the donation of a handful of flickering energy saving bulbs, that took so long to light up that they even put the theorem of the speed of light into question. And before you start wondering why we mentioned washing machines in our intro, they had even proposed that the Maltese spin their clothes at night in a foolish attempt to save what was at the time a completely neglected energy infrastructure. 

And as the PN continues to hammer the point that subsidies are by definition a short term instrument, Delia moves on to make the point that Malta heavily depends on fossil fuels and international price volatility. What he conventniety or inadvertently forgets is that Malta’s renewable share rose from around 1.1% pre 2013 to over 16% now, and the remaining fossil fuels we depend on are the cleanest available on the market, not the heavily fuel oil that they were feeding into the lungs of the Maltese population.

The choice ahead is clear. Level headed leadership and the local energy market stability that we had since 2013, or the PN’s energy policy. Now, at least, no one can complain that the PN’s ideas are not clear, because Dr. Delia did not shy away from spelling it out clearly, one word after another.