Romania’s energy market watchdog has reduced the estimated share for green certificates acquisition for 2013

The National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) has calculated the estimated share for green certificates acquisition for 2013, according to a communique of the authority. The share has been diminished from 0.2117 green certificates per MWh to 0.191 green certificates per MWh and applies to all electricity suppliers as of July 1^st. According to the effect of decreasing the green certificates quota will be felt in the electricity bills of end-consumers, the share of green certificates being reduced from RON 0.051/KWh to RON 0.034/KWh. Renewable energy producers receive support as green certificates depending on the technology used. However, incentives granted for investments in green energy will be incurred by all electricity consumers. Suppliers are forced, by law, to buy these green certificates, which are further found in the price to end-consumers. Trading of green certificates is independent of electricity trading, which is made by market mechanisms, on the electricity market. By this support scheme, end-consumers incur, through the increase price of electricity, the covering of additional production costs of electricity producers from renewable energy sources. The Government decided in early June to postpone the granting of a number of green certificates, the purpose being the reduction in electricity bills. The Emergency Ordinance provides a temporary delay, from July 1^st 2013, of granting a number of green certificates for each 1MWh produced in new hydropower stations with installed powers less than or equal to 10MW (one green certificate), by wind power plants (one green certificate) and solar power plants (two green certificates). Recovery of the green certificates shall be made as of April 1^st 2017 for hydro and solar power plants and as of January 1^st 2018 for wind power plants. The recovery will be made gradually until December 31^st 2020 at the latest. The recovery method shall be set by ANRE. In terms of trading price, it is currently around EUR 37-38/green certificate. According to Law 220/2008 and following adjustments to inflation, the maximum trading price can be of EUR 58.8/green certificate.