"The economy has been growing very fast for the last ten years, but the construction of hydropower plants is behind this process. It is due to a number of problems, including the campaign against hydropower plants. Consequently, if in 2010 the import of electricity was slightly more than 200 million kilowatt-hours, now we have to import 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours, eight times more. Add that to 3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity generated by gas-fired power plants, dependent on foreign gas imports. It turns out that more than a third of our consumption depends on imports today," the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development said at the joint sitting of the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee and on the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee.
According to Natia Turnava, in the year 2020 alone, more than $ 200 million was transferred from the country for electricity and gas import fees, which lacks the Georgian economy, as this amount would be useful to strengthen the GEL exchange rate or other economic needs. Turnava noted that all international organizations agree that Georgia is one of the countries in the region that will recover the economy the fastest and will have 5% growth.
"What does this mean for energy? This means that our consumption will practically double from the current 12.6 billion kilowatt-hours in the next ten years to at least 21-22 billion kilowatt-hours. We have to make a decision; where should we get it?" Turnava said.
The Minister of Economy attended the joint sitting of the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee and on the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee.10,135 citizens submitted a petition to the parliament regarding the construction of hydropower plants in Racha-Lechkhumi.