Electric power distribution

Greece has made significant progress in reforming its electricity and gas markets in recent years but it must step up efforts to boost competition and its use of wind and solar power generation, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday.

Renewable energy sources are increasing both in the transmission and distribution networks of the country. This shows the latest operating data of the Electricity System Operator quoted by bTV.

The consumption of electricity in Sofia and Western Bulgaria in the first week of August increased by 6% compared to the last week of July, the electricity distribution company servicing this area said on 10th of August, reported the Bulgarian National Television.

Greece's main power utility Public Power Corporation secured shareholders' approval on Tuesday to sell part of its grid operator to the state, a final step in concluding the spin-off of the grid next month.

Asset sales are a key condition of the multi-billion-euro bailout Greece signed up to in mid-2015, its third since 2010.

Greece plans to launch a power trading exchange next year to reform its electricity market in line with European plans for an interconnected energy grid which will help cut costs and improve energy security, it said on Tuesday.

Greece's wholesale electricity market is currently based on a mandatory pool system.

The restrictions on the quantities of electricity which state enterprises Kozloduy NPP, Maritsa Iztok 2 and National Electricity Company (NEK) may sell on the Bulgarian Energy Exchange have been lifted.

Public Power Corporation has referred the government's decision to set a starting price for power auctions, a case that is creating unrest in the energy industry,  to the Council of State. If PPC wins its case, it would lead to the overturning of the plans for strengthening competition in the electricity market agreed with the country's creditors.

The first electricity auction in Greece that was conducted by the Operator of the Electricity Market (LAGIE) on Tuesday saw prices range from a low of 37.37 euros per megawatt/hour (the starting price) up to 33 cents above that.

Public Power Corporation (PPC) warned on Thursday it could be hurt by electricity auctions being planned by Athens to open up the country's power market if pricing is too low.

Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova is predicting a possible decrease in the prices of electricity due to the falling prices of natural gas.

In an interview for the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on Friday, Petkova said that the expected decrease in the price of natural gas is slightly above 20 %.