The Labour Party this evening renewed its commitment to reduce energy tariffs and adopted the promise as one of its guidelines for the electoral programme.

The guideline was approved during a workshop on energy for the future as part of the Labour Congress being held at Ta' Qali. 

Dr Muscat said a Labour government would follow a holistic energy policy which would include increased use of alternative energy, energy security, sustainable energy and oil exploration. Such a policy would enable the government to reduce tariffs without the imposition of new burdens.

The tariffs could be reduced through greater efficiency and the use of new technology, Dr Muscat insisted. 

The Labour government's energy policy could end up being a social policy as well since it would lift a burden from society, a burden which was undermining people's purchasing power and industrial competitiveness, he said. 

It was a disgrace, he said that even before the power station extension was commissioned, ways to convert it to gas were under consideration. The use of gas should have been adopted from the outset, he said. 

Dr Muscat noted that the interconnector to Sicily was originally meant to come into service  by the end of this year, but now it was being said that the commissioning would take place next year.

And nothing was being said about the wind farm project.