The Resources Authority is holding the necessary consultations for the use of biofuels to become obligatory for sections of the transport sector, the Resources Ministry said this evening.

It also announced that feed-in tariffs which would be paid to people who generate electricity from alternative sources and feed it to the grid, would be announced in the near future.

The ministry was reacting to a statement by Opposition environment spokesman Leo Brincat who raised questions over the action plan for alternative energy, which was submitted to the EU earlier this month (see http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100719/local/pl-raises-questions-over-alternative-energy-action-plan ).

The ministry said that in the parliamentary debate referred to by Mr Brincat, a detailed account had been given on the measures which Malta was taking to achieve its aims on renewable energy.

The action plan showed that Malta intended to exceed the 10% threshold of energy produced from renewable sources.

This primarily would be achieved through an adjustment of the targets related to the transport sector in view of various measures the government intended to take.

With regard to autogas, talks were being held on the creation of the necessary infrastructure while the Resources Authority was holding public consultation on the obligatory use of biofuels in the transport sector in the near future.

Furthermore, the government had set up a committee to draft a strategy on the promotion of the use of electric cars.

All this was apart from government efforts to generate energy from the sun, the wind and waste, the ministry said.

With regard to the photovoltaics assistance scheme, the ministry said every effort was being made to introduce a new scheme as soon as possible in view of current investigations by the police.