Overview

Within the framework of the Athens Energy Community Treaty, the Contracting Parties in South East Europe, along with the Observer Countries, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, are working together to address the serious energy challenges in the region. Dramatic price increases in late 2007 and the international financial crisis have created serious pressures on both the public and private sectors. The electricity supply gap is widening as planned power sector capacity additions are delayed. Competition for private investment required for new energy infrastructure is fierce. Continuing concerns over energy security and high import dependence have highlighted the importance of efficiency improvement and supply diversification. The Energy Community has established a Renewable Energy Task Force, whose consultant is working to establish renewable energy targets by country, National Energy Efficiency Action Plans NEEAPs and are being finalized as required, the global financial crisis is adding additional pressures on economies in the region and around the globe.

Under the Greece-US Economic and Commercial Cooperation Commission, Hellenic Aid and the US Agency for International Development, through their respective implementation teams from the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES) and International Resources Group (IRG) together with the Alliance to Save Energy and regional partners, are jointly implementing the SYNENERGY work program to assist Energy Community countries in:

  • Improving energy sector planning that informs national decision making,
  • Enhancing energy efficiency in residential and public buildings as part of an overall strategy to reduce demand growth and enhance sector competitiveness,
  • Quantifying and utilizing renewable energy resources to diversify supply, improve energy security and provide climate benefits, and
  • Strengthening regional capacity among key institutions in the target countries, through development of a technical network to support planning, program development and implementation, and the exchange of experience and best practices.