The National Energy Regulatory Authority ANRE said that accessing European funds is a laborious activity with a high degree of risk regarding the initial acceptance of project funding according to the European Commission’s selection criteria, as well as the subsequent implementation, including the recovery of funds initially advanced by operators. ANRE has decided to increase by 2 % the regulated rate of return for energy distributors or transporters, if they access European funds to modernize the network.
The statement from the regulator said that the regulatory committee approved the orders regarding the modification of the methodologies for establishing the regulated tariffs for the transmission and distribution services of electricity and natural gas. This modification had in mind the stimulation of investments in the network infrastructure for which non-reimbursable European funds can be attracted. Thus, the regulated rate of return applied to investments that will be launched as of 1 February 2021, made by operators through co-financing from European non-reimbursable funds, increases by 2 % over the one approved for this regulatory period, which is of 6.39 %.
