LAGIE taking legal action against operators over RES payment delays

LAGIE, the Electricity Market Operator, is taking legal action against the electricity market operators IPTO and HEDNO, both subsidiaries of the main power utility PPC, over unpaid overdue amounts, energypress sources have informed.

IPTO owes LAGIE a total of 575 million euros while HEDNO, locally acronymed DEDDIE, owes the plaintiff 125 million euros.

In an unprecedented move, LAGIE is not only demanding the aforementioned unpaid receivables but interest charges for payment delays over the past five years.

LAGIE’s legal action is being backed by two photovoltaic producer associations, SPEF and PSAF.

Less than a fortnight ago, SPEF, the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Energy Producers, applied pressure on LAGIE to take action against IPTO and HEDNO. The association, through an extrajudicial initiative, warned it would file charges against LAGIE if the latter did not proceed with legal action against IPTO and HEDNO.

Photovoltaic electricity producers have yet to receive payments for production delivered last July. Energy minister Giorgos Stathakis is believed to have promised a 100 million-euro payment from PPC to LAGIE concerning last July’s production by yesterday. However, until late yesterday, this money has yet to come through, sources informed. RES-supporting surcharges on electricity bills are relayed through operators before reaching producers.