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European leaders have begun the process of moving to low-emission, renewable energy sources. That transition will help those countries reduce their dependence on Russian oil and natural gas. However, it is a transformation that will take time and involve substantial investment in new infrastructure. It will not combat the energy supply crisis the EU faces with the threat of Russia reducing or eliminating the the availability of fossil fuels.

Russian imports are the largest source of crude oil (45%) and coal (46%). They are the second largest source of natural gas imports (27%). Loss of those supplies cannot be replaced by renewable energy at this point. It is possible that in the near future coal consumption will increase. Nuclear plants that were scheduled to be decommissioned might be kept in service.

The crisis has forced European countries into a conflict between their environmental goals and their energy security needs. Industry commentators expect this situation to last for several years until renewable energy takes on a greater role in supplying energy to the continent.