RES grid access charges deemed legal

"Our decision to introduce a 40% grid access charge for renewable energy producers is in compliance with the law, advisable and not in breach with any European directives," said the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (SEWRC) Chairman Angel Semerdjiev after a regular meeting of the agency on Tuesday. "To my great regret, the so-called "open letter" contained some extremely erroneous statements and interpretations of current regulations," Semerdjiev said. Preferential prices and the way renewable energy sources (RES) are gradually introduced to the grid are matters within the competence of the given country's law. "We already have a mechanism in place and it is one of the best out there. But it shouldn't work against the public interest and right now it is. It is in every country's prerogatives to take actions in order to stabilise its system and protect consumers. Power generation should grow according to the state guidelines. Look at the surge in electricity production from photovoltaic panels in May and June this year, which put the system under stress. In determining the grid access charges, we took into consideration the capacity of every producer to continue operating with normal profit margins," Semerdjiev said. Experts from the World Bank, which funds some of the RES projects in Bulgaria, met with the state energy regulator officials to demand information about the complaint investors filed with the European Commission. Green energy producers labelled the new grid access charge illegal. But according to Angel Semerdjiev the experts' view is quite the opposite.

"Non-payment of the charges would be a breach of our legal framework. In this case, electricity distribution utilities will have the right to reject further power supplies from said producers," he added.

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