site.btaParliamentary Energy Committee Adopts First-Reading Revisions on Electricity Market Liberalisation

The parliamentary Energy Committee Wednesday adopted on first reading amendments to the Energy Act introducing measures for the electricity market's liberalisation. The bill got 11 votes in favour, 7 against and no abstentions.

MPs of various parliamentary groups criticized texts of the bills and expressed concern that the new powers of the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) might lead to greater regulation of producers and that the market liberalization might result in more expensive energy for households.

The prices on the regulated and the free market are now so different that there can be no transition of household consumers to the free market until late 2026, EWRC Chairman Ivan Ivanov said. A gradual transition to the free electricity market should be found, he added. The electricity market liberalisation requires completed agreements on long-term electricity buyout and people having resources for smart measuring devices, Ivanov argued.