Slovenia reaches political consensus on long-term energy policy – prime minister

A consensus has been reached on Slovenia’s long-term energy policy, which will be based on renewable energy sources and nuclear energy, Prime Minister Robert Golob said. The referendum on the construction of the second unit at the Krško nuclear plant was agreed to be held this year.

The consensus on the development of the energy sector was reached at a meeting organized by Prime Minister Robert Golob of representatives of top state institutions and parliamentary political parties.

President of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the National Assembly Urška Klakočar Zupančič, President of the National Council Marko Lotrič, leaders of the parliamentary parties and members of parliament representing the Hungarian and Italian ethnic communities participated in the discussion.

The Government of Slovenia said energy self-sufficiency and long-term use of nuclear energy require the broadest national and political consensus.

Golob: The participants at the meeting agreed to continue the steps toward the construction of Krško 2

After the meeting, Robert Golob expressed satisfaction with the consensus on Slovenia’s long-term energy policy, including the role of nuclear energy.

“We all agreed that the path to a carbon-free future is based on two sources: renewable electricity sources and nuclear energy. We also concur to continue the steps toward the construction of the second unit of the nuclear power plant in Krško,” he said.

In his words, it is a crucial project for Slovenia’s future, so reaching a political consensus and avoiding disagreements is essential.

The government said the political parties would jointly work on the legal framework for speeding up the Krško 2 project. Golob pointed out it primarily concerns spatial planning legislation and argued that, in some ways, it is the most significant cause of delays in similar projects.

Golob: I believe that all five parliamentary parties will take a positive stance on nuclear energy in the campaign

He noted that all political parties support the referendum, which is currently expected to occur in the year’s second half. The citizens will answer whether they want nuclear energy to be used and whether they support the construction of the second unit in Krško, he explained.

According to Golob, the referendum is needed to accelerate the procedures. Also, an affirmative result would be a green light for the investor to continue preparations before making the final investment decision, which is expected in 2027 or 2028.

The prime minister added that he expects that the investor would spend EUR 100 million until then.

He said the government will soon adopt a resolution on the long-term peaceful use of nuclear energy in Slovenia. Golob expressed the belief that parliamentary parties would endorse the initiative and nuclear energy in the campaign.