A few days ago, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) announced that they had started a procedure to revoke the electricity supply licenses of two companies, electricity suppliers on the Macedonian market. As a reason for such sanction was asserted “misconduct.” Namely, the suppliers did not manage to provide the amount of electricity on time as bound by the contracts. They had been alerted several times to deliver the required amount of electricity to their consumers, but they had not acted upon therefore AD MEPSO had to intervene using its reserves intended for exceptional emergencies.
ERC informed that several companies tried to sell electricity at a higher price than the one stipulated in the contracts, which is contrary to the rules. ERC informed that hundreds of companies complain about problems with electricity suppliers.
Regarding this problem, Antoris asked for an opinion from the Director-General of AD MEPSO (the only transmission system operator in our country) MSc. Kushtrim Ramadani.
- Regarding this problem, Antoris asked for an opinion from the Director-General of AD MEPSO (the only transmission system operator in our country) MSc. Kushtrim Ramadani?
– The suppliers are not to be blamed entirely for this “uncommon” situation caused by the pandemic throughout the entire world. The reality is that the electricity price breaks records on the stock markets. Nobody nor even the suppliers expected that the electricity price would escalate to that extend. They had made contracts with the consumers (smaller consumers on the free market) for electricity price of 50-60 EUR per one MWh, while they bought it, let's say, for 45 EUR. Suddenly, the price on the stock market triples. Now they are compelled to purchase electricity for 150 EUR by the traders but have to sell it to the consumers at a price settled in the contracts! Therefore, we may say that suppliers are wrecked due to the newly developed conditions on the market, regardless of the ERC sanctions.
ERC acts upon the legal provisions, it has to, but the reasons for unfulfilling the needs of the consumers by the suppliers are objective. The whole of Europe faces an electricity price surge. This situation could be compared to the financial crisis in 2008. I would say once again nobody could have foreseen such a situation. Nobody could have expected that the pandemic would last so long and do damage everywhere across the world.
- However, this step of ERC to sanction the suppliers “attaches” negative label that may not be objective?
– Yes, those same companies functioned for years. To avoid misunderstanding that someone did “something” on purpose because a smart person will not work “to their own detriment”.