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In exercise of its power under Art. 116, para. 7 of the Energy Act, the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC, the Commission) has adopted Regulation No. 6 of 24.02.2014 on the connection of producers and customers of electricity to the transmission or distribution grids, which regulates new public relations related to the activity "distribution of electricity in a closed distribution network", respectively with the connection of sites to such networks, as well as of the networks themselves to other electricity networks, and with the storage of electricity, respectively with the construction and connection of electricity storage facilities to electricity networks. Specific requirements, conditions and deadlines are also introduced for the connection of sites for the production of electricity from renewable sources.
The amendments and additions to the Energy Act and the Renewable Energy Sources Act are numerous and substantial, therefore for the implementation of the Regulation under Art. 116, para. 7 of the Energy Act and its structure in accordance with these amendments, according to the EWRC, it is necessary to draft an entirely new regulatory act, taking into account the requirements of the Law on Normative Acts, and Regulation No. 6 of 24.02.2014 on the connection of producers and customers of electricity to the transmission or distribution grids should be repealed.
The draft regulation is structured systematically in six separate chapters, some of which have separate sections. The individual chapters and sections regulate the procedure and method of connection depending on the type of the connected site, as well as the conditions for the suspension of electricity transmission and connection. Chapter 1 is intended to regulate the scope of the subject-matter and the general provisions applicable to all types of sites to be connected to the relevant grid. Chapters two to five aim to regulate in detail the terms and conditions for the connection of sites for consumption, production and storage of electricity, as well as sites of operators of electricity networks to electricity networks of other operators, regulating the different stages that need to be carried out in order to connect the site to the relevant electricity network. Chapter Six regulates the cases in which the relevant network operator may suspend the transmission of electricity and/or the connection with or without notice, as well as their restoration. An additional provision has been included in the draft Regulation No. 6, the purpose of which is to provide legal definitions of specific terms used in this Regulation, thereby avoiding contradictions in the end results sought to be achieved. Transitional and Final Provisions have been established to regulate how to complete the accession procedures that have been initiated as well as the entry into force of Regulation No. 6. The Transitional and Final Provisions amend and supplement Ordinance No. 3 of 21.03.2013 on the licensing of activities in the energy sector in order to bring it into line with the amendments and supplements to the Energy Act, promulgated in the Official Gazette, No. 96 of 2023, related to the licensing procedure for operators of closed electricity/gas distribution networks, as well as clarifying its provisions on the procedure for entry in the registers to be kept at the EWRC and the circumstances subject to entry in those registers.
According to the EWRC, the adoption and implementation of Regulation No. 6 as a result will lead to clarity and certainty in the relations between the persons wishing to connect a site of production, consumption or storage of electricity to the relevant network and the respective electricity network operator, as well as between the operators of electricity networks in cases of connection of a site of a grid operator to another grid operator. Also, the expected result of the implementation of Regulation No 6 is an increase in the number of producers of electricity from renewable sources. The EWRC expects that this will lead to an increase in the share of energy produced and consumed from renewable sources in the total share of electricity produced/consumed in the country.
On 05.02.2024 at 14:00 in the building of the EWRC, "Knyaz Al. Dondukov" blvd., No. 8 - 10, floor 4, a public discussion will be held with stakeholders on the draft Regulation No. 6 of ...2024 on the connection of energy sites to the electricity networks.
Source: EWRC
