Former Greens Energy Minister Claude Turmes urged the government, in the context of the tripartite talks, to ensure that electricity remains cheaper than gas through subsidies over the next three to five years. He stressed that both households and businesses need certainty that the energy transition is worthwhile. Heat pumps must be cheaper than gas or oil heating systems, and electric trucks must be more affordable than diesel-powered ones.
"They’re not doing everything wrong", said Claude Turmes. The CSV-DP government has extended the state’s €150 million contribution towards grid costs for at least three years. In addition, Prime Minister Luc Frieden announced that the state pre-financing scheme for photovoltaic systems, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and heat pumps will be extended. According to Turmes, his successor Lex Delles was being "well briefed" by the same people.
Claude Turmes served as Energy Minister during the energy crisis that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He participated in an energy roundtable and three tripartite meetings, negotiating three solidarity packages and other measures. On Tuesday morning, he set out a series of considerations and proposals in response to the current crisis and to further the energy transition.
According to Turmes, the government is "dragging its feet" in a number of areas.
While many people would like to install a heat pump, it remains illegal to do so at the front of a house in the city centre. This is due to concerns about noise. Claude Turmes pointed out that there is already noise on Route d'Arlon, just as there is in Bonnevoie, where more and more planes are flying overhead. Three years ago, he proposed some simplifications to the then Minister of the Interior, Taina Bofferding, but three years later nothing had happened because the current Minister of the Interior, Leon Gloden, dismisses green politics as nonsense.
Turmes recalled his proposal for social leasing of electric cars, whereby people on lower incomes would pay just €100–€150, with the state covering the rest. This time, it was Environment Minister Serge Wilmes, another CSV minister, who had done nothing in three years. Even with heat pumps in place, Enovos and Sudenergie still have no clear plan for helping customers to ditch gas entirely.
Earlier in the conversation, Claude Turmes explained that, as a shareholder in the Encevo group, the state had effectively "gifted" the energy group 200–250 million euros in dividends. He argued that any money provided by the state should no longer be remunerated at 6.25 percent, but rather at just 2 percent, as this could be used to reduce network costs.
The former Energy Minister also did not "entirely" agree with the assessment of Encevo director Claude Seywert. Two weeks ago and most recently last week, he appeared on RTL and stated that the current crisis was an oil crisis and that electricity prices would not rise this or next year. "It is also a gas crisis", said Claude Turmes, who believes people are being misled.
The largest liquefied natural gas plant in Qatar has been destroyed, pushing gas prices at Sudgaz up by 10%. In Germany, storage facilities that remain empty will require the purchase of expensive gas. He concluded that gas prices could rise significantly by next year at the latest.
In his view, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is not the only factor at play, given that the EU now imports a quarter of its gas from the US following the war in Ukraine. He warned against the unpredictable US President, Donald Trump, suggesting that gas prices could rise tenfold if he were to cut off supplies to Europe.
The EU produces just 2% of its oil and 3% of its gas. By contrast, the EU generates 100 per cent of its electricity, increasingly doing so through renewable ways. Therefore, Europe's future is electric, he says.
On a personal note, Claude Turmes said that losing the election in October 2023 was a hard blow, "a slap in the face", after years of trying to advance climate action.
The death of his father also affected him deeply. He credits meditation with helping him cope afterwards.
He is now playing an active role in energy policy matters in Brussels once again, primarily through his work as an adviser to politicians and organisations. Turmes stated that returning to national politics is "not my plan, at least for the time being".
