Former CERA chairman Poullikkas calls for a comprehensive national energy strategy for Cyprus

Nicosia, Cyprus. Former Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) chairman Andreas Poullikkas has said the country requires a comprehensive national energy strategy based on long-term planning, political consensus and a combination of technologies, instead of depending on single solutions.

Debate seen as oversimplified

Poullikkas, a professor of energy systems and vice-rector of Frederick University, argued that public discussion of energy has become too simple, especially on social media. In his view, complicated matters are often boiled down to electricity bills, individual power plants or technologies promoted as answers to every problem.

Related: Cyprus Cabinet Approves National Strategy to Modernise Blood Services

RelatedCyprus Cabinet Approves National Strategy to Modernise Blood Services

He noted that energy has become a central topic of public conversation in recent years, which he regarded as positive because it touches every household, every business and the economy overall. “However, particularly through social media, such a complex issue has been simplified to such an extent that it is presented as something straightforward,” he said.

Missing context

Poullikkas singled out the repeated circulation of isolated pieces of information, headlines and statements that lack the necessary technical, institutional and historical background. He said this can give a misleading impression of how the energy system works and can disregard obligations stemming from harmonised legislation and the commitments Cyprus has as a European Union member state.

Role of the press

He stressed that his remarks were not directed against journalism or public scrutiny, but were a call for fuller coverage of decisions affecting the sector. According to him, the daily press and professional journalists have an essential role in informing citizens and showing the social and economic consequences of energy decisions. He said the difficulty lies not in reporting or criticism but mainly in how fragmented material is reproduced on social media without technical, institutional and temporal context.

A broad policy field

Poullikkas emphasised that energy policy reaches far beyond electricity generation. He listed transport, building heating and cooling, industry, energy efficiency, liquid and gaseous fuels, renewable energy, storage, electricity interconnections and the exploitation of hydrocarbons as part of it.