Electricity market

The leftist Greek government has clashed with the country’s energy providers over the continuation of a special levy (ELAPE) imposed in order to balance the renewable energy sources account, which is a bailout obligation.

''Full liberalisation of electricity market is a top priority in our programme for government and one of the key elements in the energy sector'', said Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova at the International Energy Conference "Electricity Market Liberalisation - Bulgaria in a Regional and European Context", FOCUS News Agency reports.

Greece plans to launch a power trading exchange next year to reform its electricity market in line with European plans for an interconnected energy grid which will help cut costs and improve energy security, it said on Tuesday.

Greece's wholesale electricity market is currently based on a mandatory pool system.

The restrictions on the quantities of electricity which state enterprises Kozloduy NPP, Maritsa Iztok 2 and National Electricity Company (NEK) may sell on the Bulgarian Energy Exchange have been lifted.

Bulgaria and Macedonia are considering a move to couple their day-ahead electricity markets, energy news provider ICIS says.

Konstantin Konstantinov, CEO at the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange (IBEX), is quoted as saying he hopes to sign a preliminary contract with Macedonia by the beginning of February.  

Public Power Corporation has referred the government's decision to set a starting price for power auctions, a case that is creating unrest in the energy industry,  to the Council of State. If PPC wins its case, it would lead to the overturning of the plans for strengthening competition in the electricity market agreed with the country's creditors.

There is a need to encourage energy liberalization in Bulgaria, particularly in the electricity market, a paper on energy reform in the country says.

The first electricity auction in Greece that was conducted by the Operator of the Electricity Market (LAGIE) on Tuesday saw prices range from a low of 37.37 euros per megawatt/hour (the starting price) up to 33 cents above that.

Public Power Corporation (PPC) warned on Thursday it could be hurt by electricity auctions being planned by Athens to open up the country's power market if pricing is too low.

Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova is predicting a possible decrease in the prices of electricity due to the falling prices of natural gas.

In an interview for the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on Friday, Petkova said that the expected decrease in the price of natural gas is slightly above 20 %.