Bulgaria's Energy Mix Will Not Change to Allow Price Drop - Watchdog
Energy | March 4, 2013, Monday| 849 views
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Yuliana Ivanova, outgoing Chair of DKEVR, told miners and TPP workers that they had no reason to worry because the energy mix would not be changed.Photo by BGNES
Bulgaria's outgoing State-Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) will use technical losses of power distributors to introduce the anticipated reduction in electricity prices.
In a Monday statement, DKEVR informed that it would not change the parameters of the energy mix used to calculate electricity prices.
Outgoing members DKEVR made clear Monday at a press conference that the reduction in electricity prices to be introduced on March 5 would not result in the collapse of the energy system or power supply disruptions.
Yuliana Ivanova, outgoing Chair of DKEVR, told miners that they had no reason to worry because the energy mix would not be changed.
Hundreds of miners and employees of thermal power plants were expected to stage a protest Tuesday in front of the office of DKEVR, fearing that the energy generated by a number of coal-fired TPPs would be excluded from the energy mix.
On Friday, Bulgaria's energy watchdog proposed a reduction in end-consumer electricity prices by 7.2% for customers of power distributor CEZ, by 7.3% for customers of power distributor EVN and by 6.22% for power distributor Energo-Pro.
The price drop is to be introduced as a result of downsizing eligible technical losses of power distributors from 15% to 12%.
The reduction in electricity prices scheduled to take effect on March 5 is also made possible by the cheaper natural gas for co-generation capacities from January 1, 2013.
DKEVR is to come up with a final decision on the electricity price update at a closed-doors sitting on Tuesday afternoon.
The new electricity rates are to remain in place by July 1, 2013.
The decrease in power rates comes after a series of nationwide protests in the country over the unexpected spike in January electricity bills.
The protests, which turned into demonstrations calling for a change of the corrupt political model and Constitutional amendments, led to the resignation of the center-right GERB government.
Meanwhile, Bulgaria's Parliament adopted legal amendments allowing DKEVR to amend electricity prices more frequently than once a year.
Tags: thermal power plants, protests, GERB government, power distributors, electricity prices, DKEVR, State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation, Yuliana Ivanova
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