Dupa frana pusa investitiilor in energia verde asteptam sa ne scada factura la curent?Does Halting the Investments Into Green Energy Bring Cheaper Electricity Bills?

Camera Deputatilor a trecut ca „Voda prin loboda” Ordonanta de urgenta 57/2013, privind amanarea acordarii unor certificate verzi producatorilor de energie din surse regenerabile, urmand ca presedintele sa promulge Legea cu pricina. Totusi, trebuie sa recunoastem ca au fost aduse cateva amendamente, intre care cel mai important este cel legat de amanarea temporara de la tranzactionare a unui numar de certificate verzi „pentru fiecare 1 MWh produs şi livrat de producatorii de energie electrica din surse regenerabile, acreditati de ANRE pana la 31 decembrie 2013”. Initial, Ordonanta de Urgenta nu preciza data de „31 decemebrie 2013” si, astfel, amanarea se aplica si in cazul celor acreditati incepand cu 1 ianuarie 2014.

In fapt, dincolo de temperarea avantului investitorilor, autoritatile nu urmaresc altceva decat scaderea vizibila a valorii facturii la energie electrica, incepand cu anul viitor, tocmai prin acest procedeu al amanarii acordarii certificatelor. Acest lucru a fost confirmat si de catre presedintele Camerei Deputatilor, Valeriu Zgonea, care declara ca factura la energie va scadea cu, nici mai mult nici mai putin, decat 10%. Ghicitorul in stele din fruntea Camerei nu stie de ce si cum, dar asta nu mai conteaza. Este evident ca intr-un an electoral, cum este 2014, o asemenea „realizare” ar putea  avea impact asupra votantilor. Nu este treaba noastra, insa.

Sa revenim la problemele aparute in sector odata cu declansarea ofensivei guvernamentale asupra producatorilor de energie verde, unele dintre ele reale de altfel. Initial s-a spus ca pentru un megawat (MW) instalat in productia de energia eoliana costurile sunt duble fata de o centrala de tip clasic (intre 1,5 si 1,8 milioane euro/MW). Ulterior, pretul de vanzare al energiei electrice urma sa amortizeze aceste costuri in circa 7-8 ani, in conditiile schemei de sprijin initiale. Numai ca, in urma cresterii performantelor tehnologice, a scaderii costurilor cu investitia s-a ajuns la concluzia ca avem de a face cu o supracompensare, motiv pentru care este fireasca readaptarea schemei de sprijin.

Poate fi si acesta un argument, numai ca, in lipsa acelui studiu de evaluare a impactului energiei regenerabile, guvernul s-a trezit subit ca unitatile de generare a energiei electrice de tip clasic (ex: Complexurile Energetice Oltenia si Hunedoara) raman fara obiectul muncii existand riscul ca acestea sa joace majoritar doar in rezerva de sistem. Adica sa porneasca cand nu mai bate vantul, sau cand nu avem soare. Pe de alta parte, scaderea consumului si aparitia centralei de la Brazi a Petrom a dus la un surplus de energie in piata, care a semnalat o scadere a pretului, fara ca acest lucru sa se regaseasca insa in factura consumatorului final casnic (a se citi votant).

Colac peste pupaza, Romania se afla si in plin proces de liberalizare a pietelor de energie si gaze, proces care duce inevitabil la o crestere a preturilor. Cel putin pana se aseaza piata. Cum Autoritatea Nationala de Reglementare in Domeniul Energiei (ANRE) nu se mai subordoneaza Guvernului, controlul preturilor de la Palatul Victoria parea aproape imposibil. Numai ca, Guvernul Ponta s-a uitat peste gard la vecini. Cum ungurii si bulgarii au reusit sa scada pretul la energie, iar noi nu. Trebuie sa existe o solutie. Ministrul delegat pentru energie (plin acuma) a aratat de ceva vreme care este ea: reducerea drastica a subventiilor pentru energia verde. Si iata ca, in sfarsit, a fost ascultat.

Noua nu ramane decat sa constatam ca pretul energiei electrice va scadea cu 10%, asa cum afirma domnul Zgonea. Problemele sunt insa departe de a fi rezolvate prin aceasta gaselnita. Vom vedea de ce.Passing the Government’s Emergency Order 57/2013 through the Chamber of Deputies passed was a piece of cake; it stipulates a delay in issuing green certificates for the producers of renewable energy; now the president should sign it into law. We must however admit that there were a couple of amendments, among which the most important concerns the temporary postponement of trades with a number of green certificates „for each MWh produced and delivered by the producers of electricity from renewable sources, accredited by the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) before December 31, 2013”. Originally, the Emergency Order did not stipulate this date, so the deferment would have also applied to those accredited after January 1, 2014.

Actually, besides throwing cold water on the investors, the rulers just want visibly cheaper electricity bills from next year on, precisely by delaying the issue of certificates. This was confirmed by the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, Mr. Valeriu Zgonea, who said that the energy bills will be cheaper exactly 10%. The fortune-teller of the lower chamber does not know why and how, but that’s no issue. Obviously, for an elections year like 2014, such ‘successes’ might influence the voters. But that’s none of our business.

Let’s get back to the troubles of this industry generated by the government’s assault on the green energy producers; there are real problems there. Initially, it was accepted that for each MW of installed capacity of wind power, the costs are double compared to classic plants (between 1.5 and 1.8 million euros/MW). Subsequently, the sale price of electricity was supposed to pay off these costs in 7-8 years, with the original subsidies scheme. But as technologies became more performing and the investments costs dwindled, some people reckoned that there is an overcompensation, so the state aid scheme should be readjusted.

This can be a case, but without an impact study for the renewable energy, the government saw the classic power plants (like the Energy Complexes Oltenia and Hunedoara) become useless and risk being left only as reserves for the system. In other words, they would have been started only when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine. On the other hand, lower consumption and the input of Petrom’s power plant in Brazi have led to an energy surplus on the market, who saw the price decline, but without reflecting on the end users’ (i.e. voters’) bills.

On top of that, the liberalization of Romania’s energy and gas markets is in progress, so the prices will inevitably rise, at leas until the market settles and stabilizes. As the ANRE is no longer subordinate to the government, the latter seemed hardly capable of further controlling the prices. But Mr. Ponta’s government peeped at the neighbors’ yard. How could Hungarians and Bulgarians cut down the energy prices, while we couldn’t? There must be a way. The minister for energy, (now a minister in its own right) has pointed to it some time ago: slashing the subsidies for the green energy. Now he finally made himself heard.

We can just sit back and watch the electricity price drop by 10%, as Mr. Zgonea said. But this gimmick hardly brings a solution. You will soon read here why.