Czech president slams state regulation of energy sector

Speaking at the Energy Gas Storage Summit 2012 in Prague on Thursday, Czech President Václav Klaus said that government regulation of the energy sector may have a negative impact on electricity prices. He added that nuclear power was an essential and irreplaceable source of energy for the Czech Republic. The president also slammed the EU for its regulation of the energy sector and its propagation of renewable power sources. In his view, the energy mix should be governed by the free market, not by EU leaders. He also criticized Germany’s plan to phase out nuclear power by 2022.