Energy-intensive industrial producers strongly oppose an energy ministry plan to change the status of a RES-supporting ETMEAR surcharge included in electricity bills from a  regulated to competitive fee by having it incorporated into the pricing policy of suppliers, EVIKEN (Association of Industrial Energy Consumers) sources have informed energypress.

The industrial producers have cited two key reasons for their disapproval. Firstly, changing the ETMEAR surcharge into a competitive component of supplier pricing policy would terminate the ability of industrial consumers to receive related compensation as, based on EU state aid directives, compensation is permitted for regulated charges but not competitive charges.

In addition, industrial consumers oppose an ETMEAR status change as a new energy exchange platform promises to offer strong incentive for new RES units to participate in competitive procedures to secure agreements with energy suppliers. This essentially means that fewer, if any, RES units will remain available for bilateral agreements with industrial producers, who are counting on such arrangements for an urgently needed reduction of energy costs in the medium term.

The resilience of manufacturers is already being seriously tested by recent energy price increases brought about by the energy crisis.