BRUSSELS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission on Tuesday approved a Czech Republic support scheme for electricity generation from combined heat and power plants.
The total budget for the scheme is 420 million euros (444 million U.S. dollars).
The Czech Republic submitted the plan to the Commission in November 2016. The Commission concluded that it would help the country achieve its 2020 environmental and climate change objectives, which are in line with EU objectives.
According to the Commission, high-efficiency co-generation of electricity and heat helps to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions and leads to better environmental protection.
The Commission's 2014 guidelines on state aid for environmental protection and energy allow EU member states to support the production of electricity from combined heat and power installations under certain conditions.
