Is it still hard to talk about renewables in Serbia? Join the discussion!

Following the success of its previous Hard Talk event in Serbia, UNECE and partner institutions are organizing an online gathering of stakeholders to discuss the path ahead for renewables in Serbia and how announced auctions and net-metering may facilitate further promotion of renewables in the country on its way to transform the energy sector.

The renewable energy sector in Serbia is preparing for the first auctions for premiums for the supply of electricity from wind and solar power plants. With the introduction of four new energy laws, earlier this year investors are piling up projects to seize the opportunity opened with the new legislation.

Looking back at the first Hard Talk event in Serbia in March 2019, the energy transition was still a distant idea. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe – UNECE and its partner organizations decided to provide another opportunity, this time in a virtual space, for stakeholders to discuss the future of energy in the country. Hard Talk with Serbia will take place online on November 16 and 17 from 9:30 to 12:30 CET, within the UNECE RE-Uptake Project 2021.

Opportunity for joint solutions

The organizers are hoping they can repeat the success of the previous event. Investors, decision-makers, financial institutions, the academic community, and the representatives of civil society will determine priorities and come up with policy recommendations to overcome political, legal, regulatory, and technical barriers and to further utilize the renewable energy potential.

Upon registration for the event, the participants will receive the login details, guidelines, and further updates. The tentative agenda and concept note can be found here.

Net metering’s role in scaling up number of prosumers

The first day of Hard Talk with Serbia will cover state support for renewable energy and the possibility to strengthen and improve it. The other topic will be net metering and how it enables households and companies to become prosumers, one of the key elements of the future electric power system.

On day two, November 17, the focus is on how best international practices and experience can be utilized in the development of renewable energy auctions in Serbia. The event languages will be English and Serbian with simultaneous interpretation.

A round of Hard Talk events on renewable energy topics is being held with the participation of the key players in Albania, Serbia, Kazakhstan and Georgia.

The UNECE RE-Uptake Project 2021 is jointly undertaken by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), and the German Energy Agency (dena), supported and commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The Hard Talk with Serbia is made possible through close cooperation and support of the Ministry of Mining and Energy Serbia (MoME).