Independent suppliers protected by court restraining order against LAGIE

A Court of First Instance has issued a restraining order that forbids LAGIE, the Electricity Market Operator, from expelling five independent electricity supply companies from the Suppliers Registry until a final verdict is delivered in March, under the condition that the five suppliers, which filed cases, cover 50 percent of supplier surcharge amounts charged by the operator to support the RES sector.

Today’s decision ensures that the five independent electricity suppliers, Volterra, Elpedison, Protergia, Heron and Watt + Volt will remain protected against the threat of being expelled from the sector registry or any other consequences until the final verdict.

The five took separate legal action after the main power utility PPC refused to pay its surcharge share for January, which reached 120 million euros. The utility forwarded a letter to LAGIE stating it would stop paying the surcharge.

On the contrary, the independent suppliers covered their surcharge amounts for January and, just days ago, received invoices for February.

Volterra was the first of the five suppliers to take legal action and the others followed suit.

According to the sector’s regulations, electricity suppliers can be expelled from the registry if they fail to pay expected amounts to the market operator. Expelling PPC is unimaginable as the utility controls nearly 90 percent of the retail electricity market.