As Latvia picks up the reins for the Presidency of the European Council for the next six months, experts are urging other nations to take a few lessons on its approach to power.

Latvia was called an “EU leader” for cogeneration by the boss of COGEN Europe, the trade group which backs the use of electricity and heat in tandem, also known as CHP.

With debate raging over Europe’s security of supply in the wake of Russian-Ukraine tensions and its knock-on effect on gas, this experience could be useful, said Managing Director Fiona Riddoch.

She pointed to figures showing Latvia’s CHP plants produced 51% of the total electricity generated in the country in 2013 and two-thirds (69%) of the total heat produced.

Riddoch said: “The wider EU debate can benefit from the experience of a Presidency which focuses on energy efficiency not simply in end use but also along the whole supply chain.”