Cyprus currently lacks a unified and long-term energy strategy despite facing increasing pressures from rising costs, climate commitments, and geopolitical challenges, according to energy expert and former CERA chief Andreas Poullikkas. Poullikkas highlighted the island’s unique challenges as an isolated grid reliant on imported fuels, grappling simultaneously with decarbonization goals and hydrocarbon development debates.

He explained that energy policy complexity stems from competing interests between households, the economy, and global power dynamics, which pull policy decisions in conflicting directions. Poullikkas emphasized that decisions must balance reliability, cost, and emissions while ensuring fairness, sustainability, and security. However, Cyprus currently operates without an integrated framework, causing imbalances and short-term political shifts.

Poullikkas called for independent, expert-led, and scientifically grounded energy governance that transcends political cycles. He stressed the need for a stable, long-term plan that incorporates technical, economic, and social dimensions to secure Cyprus’s energy future and avoid ongoing instability in the sector.