Waste management bill has power network provisions

A draft law to manage waste that was tabled in Parliament on Monday contains regulations concerning the energy sector and particularly the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DEDDIE) and the Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE).

Ahead of DEDDIE’s privatization, the bill of the Environment and Energy Ministry sets out the spin-off of the electricity transmission network from the Public Power Corporation (PPC) and its transfer to DEDDIE.

This transfer will not include the High-Voltage Network of Crete, which will be transferred to ADMIE through separate legislation.

Under this regulation, DEDDIE will acquire exclusive ownership rights to the distribution network, except for the fiber-optics network, which will remain under PPC’s jurisdiction.

The bill also details other transfer issues including a share capital increase for DEDDIE, the issuing of new shares, and the regulation of loans issued to PPC for DEDDIE’s use.

In addition, it details that DEDDIE may include in its regulated asset base its investments for network upgrades that are aimed at increasing the absorption of renewable energy sources (RES), following permission by the Regulatory Authority for Energy.

Also included in the draft bill are provisions allowing the establishment of small-scale photovoltaic units in saturated regions of the network, such as in the Peloponnese (86 megawatts), the Cyclades (46 MW), Crete (140 MW) and Evia (40 MW).