Bulgaria’s Energy Watchdog Pledges No Power Price Hike as of January

Svetla Todorova, Chair of Bulgaria's State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR), photo by BGNES

Bulgaria’s State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) does not plan to approve a new power price increase from January 1, 2015, according to DKEVR Chair Svetla Todorova.

Todorova told the Bulgarian National Radio Thursday that the major players in the sector had not sought a power price hike but the measure had been requested by combined-cycle power plants and heating utilities.

She was adamant that DKEVR had no reason to approve an upward price revision at the moment.

Todorova also commented on the proposed amendments to the Energy Act, including a new name, structure, and procedure for the election of a DKEVR Chair.

She estimated the legal changes as a positive step, adding that they were not enough to guarantee an independent watchdog.

Todorova reminded that the main points in the proposal involved the election of DKEVR members by Parliament, the creation of two divisions within the DKEVR, including one tasked with water regulation and one with energy regulation, and the cancelation of the powers of the Finance Ministry to revise the DKEVR budget.

As regards the structure of DKEVR, she suggested that the establishment of two units had been agreed upon in response to a World Bank report recommending that the DKEVR be divided into two watchdogs, which had been estimated as too costly a measure.

She argued that the creation of two units at DKEVR would optimize its work as regards sittings, but the responsibilities of the DKEVR Chair would increase substantially.

Todorova also noted that the administrative staff of DKEVR was finding it hard to cope with the workload at present, let alone after the establishment of the two units.

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