Renewable energy policy

Amazon has agreed to invest in three new utility-scale wind farms in Greece, in the Western and Central Macedonia and the Peloponnese, the retail giant announced on Wednesday. 

The company has signed four Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) that span three renewable energy projects, marking its largest renewable energy deal in the country to date. 

Amazon is implementing its largest renewable energy initiative in Greece to date with an investment in three new large-scale wind farms. These energy parks will help meet Amazon’s energy needs in the region, providing clean energy while also supporting Greece’s transition to renewable energy use.

In the first half of 2024, household electricity and natural gas prices in Bulgaria ranked among the lowest in the European Union, according to recent data from Eurostat. Overall, electricity prices for EU households showed a slight decline in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, while Bulgarian households benefitted from notably low rates.

A different landscape in the color layout of electricity charges, with additions and subtractions to tariffs, as well as radical changes to the zone of cheap electricity and everyday habits, is planned by the government from the beginning of the year. The changes make green tariffs optional and emphasize fixed tariffs that offer pricing certainty without surprises.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy on Tuesday announced a boost in electricity bill support for more than 700,000 vulnerable households in October.

For households under the Social Residential Tariff, the subsidy amounts to 30 euros per megawatt-hour or 3 cents/kWh for the entire consumption.

"Green" residential electricity tariffs are reduced by 6-17% in October, while two suppliers (Heron and Protergia) have kept the prices stable for the fourth month in a row.

The prices range from 13.974 to 18.558 cents per kilowatt hour, while 12.062 cents is the charge for PPC's night tariff.

A reduction of 6.1% will show up on green household electricity bills in October, the Public Power Corporation said on Tuesday.

PPC's green rate for up to 500 kW will be 14.96 cents/kWh in October, compared to 15.94 cents/kWh in September.

As power suppliers prepare to present on Tuesday their October tariffs, Kathimerini reveals that every other euro consumers pay to electricity companies goes to third parties for a host of other fees and charges.

Down nearly 9% is the average megawatt-hour price for September, showing signs of easing after a quarter of strong price increases that forced the government to pull subsidies for electricity out of the drawer.

The Bulgarian government has decided to extend compensation for high electricity costs to all non-household consumers by the end of the year, following a change in the compensation program. The measure, requiring over 500 million leva (250 million euros), has been approved by the European Commission.