Medvedev calls for utmost use of alternative energy potential
GORKI. June 27 (Interfax) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for more energetic efforts to increase the share of green or alternative energy in total output.
"Its share in the overall amount of energy that we produce is extremely low, less than 1% due to the fact that we are the biggest hydrocarbon nation. We are not simply inferior to our European partners, we have not done anything in this sphere yet," he said at a session of the commission for the modernization of the Russian economy.
As an example, he named Germany, which plans to raise its share of alternative energy to 35% by 2010.
"We have an enormous potential of traditional energy resources, of course, but we must be actively moving also in the direction of using the potential of alternative power generation - wind, solar, geothermal and others that are only being discussed, developed or that exist in the form of ideas. It is a question of using this potential not only in industry but in housing and utilities," Medvedev said.