Deputies adopted the amendments to the Energy Act on second reading
Deputies of the National Assembly adopted the amendments to the Energy Act on second reading. The changes were initiated after the prolonged power outage in a number of settlements on New Year's Eve. In particular, they aim at stricter control of electricity distribution companies. It is decided that the mayors of municipalities, if necessary, shall make proposals to the relevant operator of the electricity distribution network on the territory of the municipality for the inclusion in their investment plans of settlements or parts of them with problems in the supply of electricity.
The mayors of municipalities and the operators of electricity distribution networks shall create a special communication channel, which shall be indicated in the municipal emergency plans for disaster protection.
KEWR will be able to approve and control the implementation of investment plans and repair programs of electricity distribution network operators, including their maintenance and modernization, and have the right to require the inclusion of reconstruction and modernization activities for specific sites. It will also approve the minimum investment and repair costs for each regulatory period. This minimum threshold must be no less than 30% of the total amount of the planned investment and repair costs.
Texts have been introduced for the payment of a penalty to consumers in the event of a power outage lasting a total of 48 hours over a period of 72 hours.
Fines for violations of the EPR are increased 4 times - from the previous " non-pecuniary sanction of 5,000 to 10,000 BGN " to " pecuniary sanction of 20,000 to 50,000 BGN. " In the event of a repeated violation, the sanction increases threefold. The deadline for the implementation of the new legal amendments by the EDP in the Energy Act has been set at three months.
New texts are also being introduced regarding gas distribution companies. The energy regulator will be able to amend a natural gas distribution license by terminating it for part of the designated territory of the license, when no elements of the gas distribution network have been built on this part of the territory for a period of 5 years, starting from the issuance of the natural gas distribution license, ” reads one of the new main texts.
The new texts in the Energy Law also make amendments to the Subsoil Resources Law in particular.
All these texts caused a long debate in the plenary hall.
Radoslav Ribarski from the PP DB declared himself against the changes, especially for gas distribution companies, stating that this presupposes the possibility of selective action. He also expressed the opinion that, in addition to the sanctions against the EDPs, the current changes in the energy law will not contribute to tightening control. In support of his opinion, he referred to the General Terms and Conditions of the EDPs for penalties after an interruption of electricity supply after 24 hours.
I made a commitment to Bulgarian citizens to place the EDPs in corner. This has been observed, said the Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov, who attended the debates in the plenary hall. In this regard, he pointed out the established rights of mayors, who are best acquainted with the places where accidents occur. He also explained that with the new amendments, the EPCs are firmly obliged to pay a penalty for interruption of the power supply.
The Minister of Energy explained the other amendments to the Energy Act - some of them are due to delayed transportation of a European directive and are aimed at interrupting a penal procedure against Bulgaria. As for the texts under the Subsoil Resources Act, the Minister explained that they are made rather to eliminate an administrative inaccuracy found by the experts of the department.
Iskra Mihaylova from Vazrazhdane expressed support for the part about the EPCs, aimed at protecting consumers. As the MP noted, the current amendments to the Energy Act achieve certain things - sanctions against electricity distribution companies are lifted, but this is not for the purpose of punishment, but for the purpose of prevention. At the same time, he reminded once again that it is bad parliamentary practice to introduce changes by the Ministry of Energy in order to avoid public discussion. As well as that by changing the Energy Act, an amendment should be made to another law, indicating the texts on gas distribution companies and the Law on Subsoil Resources.
Krasimir Manov from the PG MECH also spoke out against these texts.
The texts on geothermal energy (in the Law on Subsoil Resources) are editorial, said the GERB MP Delyan Dobrev. He once again agreed that this is bad parliamentary practice. At the same time, he stated that the inclusion of the texts on gas distribution companies is fully justified and is motivated by the pace of gasification in the country. According to him, there are cases in which, with a 30-year license for a given region, only one settlement has been gasified. " Fifteen-twenty years, we are waiting. At this rate, we will gasify Bulgaria for 1,300 years, " said Dobrev. According to him, what is planned is for the EWRC to review the licenses and decide whether a licensee can cope with the commitments, and if not - to proceed with the separation of a new license territory.
According to Stanislav Anastasov from the DPS Novo Nachoło, this will also provide an opportunity to check the investments of gas distribution companies.
