Table of Contents

1. Village Zemo Alvani is connected to natural gas network
2. Energy Minister: About 1 billion USD will Be Invested in Oil Refinery Construction
3. SOCAR Georgia Gas Invests 2.93 million GEL in Zemo Alvani Gasification
4. Georgia Exported Electricity to Only One Country in January
5. Caucasus Energy and Infrastructure Moves to New Stage of Mtkvari HPP Construction
6. DOE Requests $3.2 Billion for Renewable Energy, Efficiency in FY 2012
7. Global Wind Energy Capacity up by 22% in 2010: GWEC
8. Government Amends Renewable Energy 2008 Program
9. U.S. proposes new plan to manage national forests
10. Publications
11. Events

 
Oil & Gas

Village Zemo Alvani is connected to natural gas network
In frames of Presidential program “Gas to Every Village” company SOCAR Georgia completed gasification of village Zemo Alvani in Akhmeta region.
In total 41 km gas pipeline was installed in frames of the project. Company has spent GEl 2 930 000.
http://minenergy.gov.ge/index.php?m=262&newsid=541

Energy Minister: About 1 billion USD will Be Invested in Oil Refinery Construction
Georgian Energy Minister Aleksandre Khetaguri says the government plans to construct a 4.5 billion ton oil refinery, but the asset's capacity  and the investment volume will be determined on the ground of feasibility studies.
Otis Azerbaijani company will develop the feasibility studies. Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation (GOGC) will conclude an agreement with OTIS in late February, 2011.
http://gbc.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=30072

SOCAR Georgia Gas Invests 2.93 million GEL in Zemo Alvani Gasification
SOCAR Georgia Gas has completed gasification works in the Zemo Alvani Village, the Akhmeta District.
The company has constructed 41-kilometer medium-pressure gas pipeline and invested 2.930 million GEL in the project implementation.
http://gbc.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=30076

Electrical Power

Georgia Exported Electricity to Only One Country in January
In January 2011 Georgia exported electricity to only one country.
Namely, in the reporting period Electricity System Commercial Operator (ESCO) exported 41.483 million kilowatt-hour electricity to Turkey and imported 77.044 million kilowatt-hour from the Russian Federation.
http://gbc.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=30069

Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency

Caucasus Energy and Infrastructure Moves to New Stage of Mtkvari HPP Construction
Caucasus Energy and Infrastructure (CEI, GSE - NRGY) has started a new stage of constructing Mtkvari hydro power plant.
Namely, the company ahs started constructing a river stream changing channel of 220 meters to build the cascade on a dry ground.
http://gbc.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=30074

DOE Requests $3.2 Billion for Renewable Energy, Efficiency in FY 2012
President Obama unveiled on February 14 a $29.5 billion budget request for DOE covering fiscal year (FY) 2012, including $3.2 billion for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The budget request for EERE represents a 44% increase over the current FY 2010 appropriation of about $2.2 billion.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=16728

Global Wind Energy Capacity up by 22% in 2010: GWEC
Global capacity of wind power installations grew by 35.8 gigawatts (GW) in 2010, a 22.5% increase on the 158.7 GW installed at the end of 2009, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) announced on February 2. This brings total installed wind energy capacity up to 194.4 GW, according to figures from the global wind industry trade association.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=16732

Government Amends Renewable Energy 2008 Program
The Georgian government has amended the Renewable Energy 2008 program.
Under the February 3 resolution of the Energy Ministry, several hydro power plants in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region have been removed from the program, namely, Dariali HPP on the river Tergi (99.9 megawatts), Tergi HPP on the river Tergi (17.2 megawatts), Amala HPP on the river Amaal (8.3 megawatts), Chkheri HPP on the river Chkheri (14.8 megawatts), Juta HPP on the river Juta (8.9 megawatts), Sno HPP on the river Snostskali (17.8 megawatts), Kobi HPP on the river Tergi (11 megawatts), Truso HPP on the river Tergi (8.7 megawatts) and Tsdo HPP on the river Tergi (57.1 megawatts).
Certain parameters should be improved to include these HPPs in the program,, the Energy Ministry says.
As reported, the government-proposed renewable energy 2008 program calls for constructing 78 small hydro power plants in Georgia.
http://gbc.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=30119

Climate Change

U.S. proposes new plan to manage national forests
A forest planning rule, proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, would establish a new national framework to develop land management plans to conserve national forests for the benefit of water, wildlife, recreation and the economic vitality of rural communities. It will  provide the tools to make forests more resilient to many threats, including pests, catastrophic fire and climate change.
http://www.energy-enviro.fi/index.php?PAGE=3&NODE_ID=5&LANG=1&ID=3522

Publications

Appeal of the Aarhus Centre Georgia to the Government of Georgia on Restructuring the Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources
On February 8, 2011 at the meeting of the Government of Georgia, the Prime Minister Nika Gilauri announced about planned organizational restructuring of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources. In particular, the responsibilities of the management of the natural resources and other functions of the Ministry of Environment are to be transferred to different Ministries. Various options are being considered. 
Transforming the Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources into an Office of State Minister is one of the options.  According to the national legislation the Office of State Minister is weaker executing institution. Therefore, restructuring the Ministry of Environment into the Office of State Minister will cause weakening of environmental protection that is inconsistent with the officially declared policy of the country .  Urgency of environmental problems and the role of small countries in their resolution were underlined in the speech of the President of Georgia made in Cancun, Mexico at the 16th Conference of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He emphasized the key role of “green ambition” for development and stability of countries with transition democracies. 
If the Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources is transformed into the Office of State Minister, the fate of Environmental Impact Permit – a key environmental regulation mechanism – becomes unclear. This is also alerting for the reason that this procedure is the only established mechanism for public participation in environmental decision making in Georgia. The current legislation does not provide adequate participation in environmental decision making and requires significant improvement and further harmonization with the Aarhus Convention . Taking into account mandate of the State Office, there is a risk of constraining rights of the public to participate, which diverges us further from complying with the Aarhus Convention obligations and generally, development course chosen by the country.
Furthermore, possible redistribution of functions of such important structural units of the Ministry as the National Environmental Agency requires careful consideration. The role of the National Environmental Agency is very important in terms of fulfilling obligations under the Aarhus Convention.  Unoptimal restructuring can become a constraint for obtaining information on the State of Environment and accessibility of this information to the public, which is a direct breach of the Aarhus Convention. In addition, issues regarding integration of the Agency of Protected Areas in the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and natural resources management raise questions.
Abovementioned issues remain problematic even if the Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources maintains its status, but regulation of protected areas, forestry agency and presumable other functions are excluded from its responsibilities. 
Proceeding from above, we appeal you to hold open consultations and public hearings with different stakeholders on legal amendments for reorganization of the Ministry prior any decision as required by the article 8 (Public Participation During the Preparation of Executive Regulations and/or Generally Applicable Legally Binding Normative Instruments) of the Aarhus Convention.
Aarhus Centre Georgia
6 Gulua Str., 0114 Tbilisi, Georgia 
Tel.: +995 32 75 24 19
Fax: +995 32 75 23 90
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www.aarhus.ge

Events

International Conference of Energy System Regulatory Commissions Assembles in Tbilisi
Tbilisi is hosting an international conference of energy sector regulatory commissions.
The two-day conference is organized by the Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA). The conference opened at the Courtyard Marriott hotel at 9 o'clock.
http://gbc.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=30038

Invitation to a presentation
We would like to invite you on 25 February, 2011 on the presentation of European Neighborhood Policy-Actio Plan of Implementation Report 2011 prepared by coalition of NGOs.

A low carbon future
22.02.2011 - 24.02.2011
Gallagher Convention Centre - Midrand, Johannesburg
http://www.25degrees.net/index.php?view=details&id=144%3Aa-low-carbon-future&option=com_eventlist&Itemid=61