Volya calls on NCER to de-monopolize power grid connection market
Kyiv, March 10 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Volya political party has called on the National Commission of Ukraine for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER) to change the rules on connection to the power grid and to allow licensed businesses to provide connections with electricity supply companies in the face of privately owned regional power companies.
The initiative to amend NCER order No. 32 dated January 17, 2013 was announced by member of the Volya party council, MP Yuriy Derevianko (non-aligned) said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.
"We demand immediate amendments to this resolution, cancelling this corruption scheme and providing a transparent and competitive market of connection to power grids and the market, which deals with project documentation orders and services, connection work, because it is very important that investments come to us and businesses really develop," he said.
According to Derevianko, in December 2014 the Volya party appealed with a similar initiative to the NCER whose members had been reelected by the incumbent government, but only received a formal reply about the commission's plan to establish an ad hoc group jointly with market participants and MPs to consider the issue and take measures to de-monopolize the power grid connection market, which has not been implemented.
"Seven people [the NCER members] can gather and very quickly put this provision to the rules. If they do not do this now, then we will put changes to the law on electric power, which will clearly state that such a connection must be carried out under market terms and based on certain principles," he added.
According to Derevianko, particularly for non-standard facility connection to power grids, regional power companies demand that consumers and businesses pay an illegal fee of about UAH 4,000 for a 1 kW connection.