Cyprus energy debate must move beyond social media simplifications, says former CERA chief

Cyprus needs a comprehensive national energy strategy built around long-term planning, political consensus and a combination of technologies, rather than relying on individual solutions to address its energy challenges, according to former Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) chairman Andreas Poullikkas.

Poullikkas, a professor of energy systems and vice-rector of Frederick University, argued that the country’s energy debate has become oversimplified, particularly on social media, where complex issues are frequently reduced to electricity bills, individual power plants or technologies presented as solutions to every problem.

“Energy has moved to the centre of public discussion in recent years. This is positive, because it directly affects every household, every business and the economy as a whole,” he said.

“However, particularly through social media, such a complex issue has been simplified to such an extent that it is presented as something straightforward,” he added.

He identified the repeated circulation of isolated information, headlines and statements without the necessary technical, institutional and historical context as a particular problem.

Poullikkas stressed that this was not an argument against journalism or public scrutiny, but rather a call for more comprehensive coverage of decisions affecting the energy sector.

“The daily press and professional journalists play an essential role in informing citizens, highlighting the social and economic implications of energy decisions,” he said.

“The problem does not lie in reporting or criticism,” he continued. “It is mainly found in the way fragmented information, headlines or statements are reproduced on social media without the necessary technical, institutional and temporal context.”

According to Poullikkas, this can create a misleading picture of how the energy system operates, while overlooking the obligations arising from harmonised legislation and Cyprus’ commitments as a European Union member state.

He emphasised that energy policy extends well beyond electricity generation, encompassing transport, building heating and cooling, industry, energy efficiency, liquid and gaseous fuels, renewable energy, storage, electricity interconnections and the exploitation of hydrocarbons.

The development of a hydrogen economy must also form part of longer-term planning, he added, arguing that these different areas interact and cannot be designed independently.

“Energy is not only electricity,” he said.

“The sectors interact with one another and cannot be planned independently,” he added.

For Cyprus, Poullikkas said, electricity nevertheless remains a central pillar of the energy transition, requiring a system capable of balancing reliability, affordability and environmental sustainability.

He argued that the island needs a combination of conventional electricity generation to ensure adequate supply and reserve capacity, renewable energy to reduce emissions, storage to make better use of clean electricity, interconnections to improve flexibility and demand management to limit consumption peaks.

“Cyprus needs a reliable system that combines conventional generation for adequacy and reserves, renewable sources for decarbonisation, storage for better utilisation of clean energy, electricity interconnections for flexibility and demand management to limit peaks,” he said.

He cautioned against expectations that a single technology could resolve the country’s energy challenges, particularly given its relatively small and currently electrically isolated system.

“There is no single technology that can, on its own, simultaneously guarantee security of supply, low costs and reduced emissions in a small and, for the time being, electrically isolated island system,” Poullikkas explained.

Sectoral integration and hydrocarbon planning

He also called for the debate to give greater attention to transport, where Cyprus must gradually reduce its dependence on imported petroleum products.

Poullikkas identified electric mobility, stronger public transport networks and alternative fuels such as hydrogen as important elements of this process.

However, he argued that the transition in transport must be coordinated with electricity system planning, particularly regarding charging infrastructure and the possibility of electricity flowing in both directions between vehicles and the grid in the future.

“That transition must be linked to electricity system planning, charging infrastructure and the future possibility of two-way energy flows between electric vehicles and the grid,” he said.

Building heating and cooling also require greater attention, particularly given Cyprus’ increasing demand for air conditioning during warmer periods.

Poullikkas explained that rising cooling demand directly affects peak electricity consumption, potentially increasing pressure on the country’s generation capacity and electricity networks.

He therefore highlighted building renovations, proper insulation, efficient heat pumps, solar thermal systems and intelligent consumption management as essential components of energy policy.

“These are not secondary issues,” he said, referring to energy efficiency measures in buildings.

“They are fundamental tools for limiting costs and reducing the need to construct additional generation and network infrastructure,” he added.

The expert also addressed the exploitation of hydrocarbons within Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone, arguing that it must be considered as part of the country’s wider long-term energy planning.

He cautioned against presenting natural gas either as an answer to every energy problem or as an issue entirely separate from the European Union’s transition towards climate neutrality.

Instead, Poullikkas called for available options to be assessed through technical, economic, environmental and geopolitical criteria.

He also pointed to the potential role of natural gas as a transitional fuel and feedstock for producing low-emissions hydrogen, provided such applications can be demonstrated to be viable.

“Utilising Cyprus’ hydrocarbons must also be incorporated into the same long-term framework,” he said.

“It should not be treated either as a solution to every energy problem or as an issue disconnected from the European course towards climate neutrality.”

Regulatory frameworks and political continuity

Poullikkas stressed that European legislation provides the framework within which Cyprus must make its energy decisions, covering the electricity market, renewable energy promotion, energy efficiency, emissions reductions, consumer protection and climate neutrality.

He argued that these requirements should not be regarded as theoretical objectives or optional policy directions, since they create specific national obligations.

“That framework is not a theoretical reference or an optional policy direction,” he said.

“It creates specific national obligations that must be incorporated into infrastructure planning, market operations and investment decisions,” he stated.

He warned that failing to account for this regulatory dimension could encourage the perception, particularly on social media, that every energy decision represents an arbitrary choice by the government of the day or an individual authority.

In reality, he said, decisions must be assessed against European law, the country’s commitments, security of supply, their overall long-term costs and their environmental, economic and social consequences.

“This does not mean that decisions should not be scrutinised,” Poullikkas said.

“It means they should be assessed using complete information, comparable scenarios and a clear presentation of the available alternatives,” he added.

Looking ahead, he argued that the central challenge was determining what kind of energy system Cyprus wanted to have in 2030, 2040 and 2050, and establishing a credible route towards achieving it.

He pointed out that energy investments involve substantial capital, lengthy licensing procedures and operating lifespans extending over several decades, making them particularly vulnerable to uncertainty caused by changing political priorities.

“The real challenge is not to find the most attractive phrase or the promise with the greatest appeal,” he said.

“It is to decide what energy system we want for Cyprus in 2030, 2040 and 2050 and, above all, how we will get there.”

Poullikkas argued that decisions concerning power plants, electricity networks, storage, interconnections, transport, buildings, hydrocarbons and hydrogen would shape the country far beyond the duration of any government or parliamentary term.

He warned that a lack of continuity increases costs, creates investment uncertainty and delays the implementation of critical infrastructure.

“Energy cannot become an arena for pre-election oversimplification,” he said.

He therefore called for a comprehensive national energy strategy with clear milestones, measurable indicators and regular assessments, supported by broad agreements across political parties.

Such arrangements, he explained, would help ensure that long-term energy priorities remain consistent rather than being overturned with every electoral cycle.

Poullikkas said the need for political continuity through cross-party agreements had repeatedly been identified as a fundamental condition for developing electricity networks, storage capacity, renewable energy, interconnections and the wider transformation of the energy system.

“This does not translate into less reporting or less public debate. Quite the opposite,” he said.

“We need more information, greater transparency and more evidence-based criticism,” he added.

He maintained that meaningful scrutiny requires time, context and access to reliable information, which can be supported through journalism, research and public consultation.

He also called for a public debate that does not become trapped in the speed, polarisation and fragmented nature of social media discussions.

Ultimately, Poullikkas argued that Cyprus can develop a secure, competitive and environmentally sustainable energy system, provided its decisions are grounded in expertise, technical evidence, harmonised legislation and lasting political agreements.

“Energy concerns citizens’ everyday lives, but it is planned over decades,” he stressed.

“The seriousness of the issue requires us to look beyond the next post and beyond the next ballot box,” he concluded.