Since the dissolution of the Eastern Bloc, energy production in Southeast Europe (SEE) has been stymied by chronic underinvestment. As a result, infrastructure in the region is struggling to meet demand, is unreliable and is in dire need of modernisation. At the same time, it must conform to EU climate and air quality regulations. In short, Southeast Europe is heading toward an energy crisis. In order to avoid this, it must secure massive financial investment into non-polluting energy production, and use that investment in its rapid deployment. In February 2015, a leaked paper shed light on the European Commission’s plans to eliminate energy islands, or the lack of energy interconnectedness of various regions, citing SEE as a particular challenge. The region itself is moderately interconnected, but its isolation from external energy markets means that energy security remains a problem. Energy import dependency remains significant at between 17 and 73 […]