Republika Srpska increases fees for power from renewable sources

The Republika Srpska Regulatory Commission for Energy decided to raise the fees that consumers pay to provide incentives for electricity produced from renewable energy sources.  Electricity bills will be 0.7 percent higher from the start of 2018.

The Commission said in statement that a number of new power production facilities had been built in Republika Srpska during 2017 and that more were due to be completed in the course of 2018, adding that this is why funds to pay the stimulation regulated by law had to be secured.

The Regulatory Commission said the money from the fees would be used to pay premiums for newly-constructed electric power facilities, mainly to the private owners of small and medium-size hydro power plants with 10 percent of the money going to the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency.

A statement said that the Republika Srpska government will now issue a decree on the higher fees for power from renewable sources, adding that the Commission will then draw up documents defining which power producers have the right to financial stimulation, the level of stimulation and level of fees for renewable sources of energy which will be paid by consumers in the RS.

The RS government will also issue a decree defining the share of energy from renewable sources in the overall consumption of electricity within the RS.

Local media reported that households will pay a total of KM 25 million (EUR 12.5 million) for the payments for renewable source energy in 2018.

Power utility Elektroprivreda RS spokeswoman Ana Bokonjić said the price of electricity will not be raised because of the higher renewable energy sources fees. She said the 0.7 percent increase in power bills is not because of higher power prices but a separate fee which does not fall into the income of the power company and its affiliates.

The RS Regulatory Commission said that it had not received any request for power price increases from any electric power producer and distributor since early 2010.

Consumers in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation had their electricity bills increased by a similar fee for power from renewable sources as of July 1, 2017.