site.btaMunicipalities Discuss Joint Work with Electricity Distribution Companies

The Annual Meeting of Municipalities in the Black Sea resort of Albena, organized by the National Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria (NSORB), is continuing for the third and final day on Tuesday.

During the first plenary session, the topic of interaction between municipalities and electricity distribution companies was discussed. The member of the Board of Directors of NSROB and Vratsa Mayor Kalin Kamenov said that the process of signing a framework cooperation agreement is about to be finalized.

"We begin to realize the importance of some things only when problems arise with them. This is also the case with the power supply. We realized what problems its permanent interruption could lead to when the snow disaster occurred in November 2023," Kamenov recalled, adding that many places in Northern Bulgaria were left without electricity for more than six days.

Municipalities and distribution companies are two sides of the same coin, said Blagoy Golubarev from the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission. He noted that the linear facilities pass through territories that are managed by the municipalities. "A joint activity is a must, and when it is attached to a framework agreement, it will give an incentive for better coordination and an incentive to solve problems together," he underscored.

Golubarev also pointed out that a process of decentralization is underway in the energy sector and that local energy communities will lead to the so-called smart grids. "The joint work between the distribution companies and the local government will be increasingly strengthened," he added.

The Annual Meeting of Municipalities began on October 13. BTA is media partner of the event.