Government plans setting rates in the gas industry

29 septiembre, 2014
Endesa y Origin se disputan el 50% de GasAtacama en manos de Southern Cross

Endesa y Origin se disputan el 50% de GasAtacama

According to the draft bill, the fees will be calculated by the CNE and fixed by the ministry every four years.

On Friday morning, representatives of the natural gas distribution companies held a meeting with the executive secretary of the National Energy Commission, Andres Romero, to know about the progress of the bill that will be sent to the executive during the first quarter of the year and which is already in its final stage of development.

According to the CNE set forward, one of the measures to be included in the project is the introduction of tariff setting processes for the industry, which would be in charge of the committee itself and tentatively have a four-years term.

As stated in the document, the idea is that prices are frozen since the Competition Tribunal issued its report, which will occur once the Department of Energy send background on the returns that is taking the industry, which will happen once they receive the study commissioned to Valgesta and to Energy Markets thereon.

Other elements as guaranteed rate (for users with lower monthly consumption to 270 thousand m3 per month), free to set different services and rates (although the client can always choose the guaranteed rate) and the possibility of prepayment services or controlled account , among others will be added to this.

The procedure for setting rates, according to the draft bill, considers that rates will be calculated by the CNE and fixed by the ministry every four years, that the study considers type options lower rate / longer term or higher rate / shorter term, geography, transparency criteria and others.

The figure of the Value Added Distribution (VAD) as it exists in the electricity distribution tariff setting, will also be introduced.

The proposal to establish this opening to the networks, transforming them into open access networks that allow any company, paying a toll to enter this business, will be added to this.

The maximum profitability, increasing from 5 points to 2.5 and also plans to reduce the discrepancies arising under the tariff setting will be resolved by the Panel of Electric Experts, which will be extended to Energy Expert Panel, will also be reduced.

According to Andrés Romero said, there are several companies that are interested in entering this gas distribution business, once the networks are open. These include EPM, ENAP, Endesa, Union Fenosa and Mitsui. All of them were present at Friday’s meeting.

More details will be released in the coming days. The project will be submitted to Congress the first quarter of next year.

Source: Pulso

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