Everyone is still dissatisfied – Energy Minister about situation on electricity market

The current situation on the electricity market does not work for the majority of its participants: both producers and consumers, although there are certain positive achievements for them, Energy Minister Yuriy Vitrenko said.

"The price of electricity for domestic consumers [the population] is much lower than the market one, but people are still dissatisfied because they have little money to pay for electricity even at such prices," he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

According to him, large industrial consumers are dissatisfied with the lack of stability, flexibility and predictability; although the price of electricity in Ukraine is on average lower than that of its European neighbors, and tariffs for transmission and distribution are much lower on average as well.

"Producers of 'green' energy have a high tariff, according to which the state has undertaken to buy out electricity, but they are dissatisfied because the state owes them," Vitrenko said in a message.

He said that the largest electricity producer with a relatively low production cost, National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom, is experiencing a catastrophic shortage of funds, "since it is a 'cash cow', and even in a cage with 'predators'."

"Thermal generation has a powerful lobby, low taxes on emissions, but producers are still dissatisfied, in particular, because of how the wholesale market works," the minister said.

According to him, there is also a problem with imports from Belarus and the Russian Federation, which, in particular, "are carried out by the U.S. company."

"I found out long ago that for some reason they never call me where it is easy," Vitrenko said.

When he was asked in the comments what to do in such a situation, the minister answered shortly "work."

Source: www.en.interfax.com.ua