Icreases of rains abate next rising cost of lights

Instead of perceiving estimated 6% rebate ICE customers pay 2% less

September 26th,2014.

The increased rainfall, characteristic of the last quarter of each year, soften the rise of 3.7% requested by the ICE for electric bills canceling their subscribers.

This is due to the rate increase takes effect on October 1, while adjusting the variable cost of fuel (CVC) which varies quarterly.

More rain means less spending on fuels to generate electricity; these are the variables that are reflected in the CVC. According to estimates and the initial proposal of the Regulatory Authority for Public Services (Aresep), the next adjustment would bring the rate is 6% lower than today.

If that is true, users would receive a rebate of 2.3% (instead of 6%) to be applied to them if ICE had not requested an increase to ARESEP, July 21. That month, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) and the President, Luis Guillermo Solis pledged to keep rates stable light over the next year and a half.

But days later, the Institute requested a rate increase from 3.7% to 7% distribution and generation, with the excuse of cover-about ¢ 31,000 million-to import power from the regional electricity market.

Although Carlos Obregón, ICE chief executive, insisted that what was sought to ARESEP up but not a rate adjustment, approval of the increase in costs was published yesterday in the Gazette.

Contrary. Tariff adjustment This caused discontent in some sectors, which criticized the inconsistency of ICE with respect to the promise of price stability.

The Chamber of Industry said that the high energy cost is the main item that the sector uncompetitive and that in 19 months, has affected the loss of about 6,000 jobs.

Enrique Egloff, chief of the House, criticized the downgrade for the last quarter is now lower than expected.

Source: La Nación

Differences between Minae and ARESEP by solar initiatives concern to entrepreneurs

Ministry consulted to the PGR for detail distributed generation

Acesolar is looking for Minae take the 'singing voice' in the subject

April 21st,2015

Energy sector entrepreneurs expressed worries, they said uncertainty and demanded a delay in setting interconnection tariffs for solar distributed generation.

In February, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) closed the pilot distributed generation solar energy that worked for five years. This decision, according to the sector, knocked out 'movement' pending rates and policies definitions.

"The pilot of the ICE is what causes the growth of this industry in the country. There are almost a thousand jobs related to this industry, when the plan is withdrawn from the market waiting for the Regulatory Authority for Public Services (Aresep) and the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae) resolve the issue of regulation, is where all the companies were in limbo and a timeout, unable to practically sell, "said Fernando Ortuño, Green Energy Company and a member of the Association of Solar Energy of Costa Rica (Acesolar).

With the cessation, ICE began to reject applications by firms and households who wanted to implement this technology. Added to this, the sector still lacks regulations to operate as it is pending Regulation Planning, Operation and System Access National Energy (Poasen), which regulates distributed generation in the chapter on solar energy.

"That's where friction begin to emerge, so to speak, between ARESEP and Minae. We are at the point that the ministry was consulting the Attorney General's Office if distributed generation is a public service or not (...) If the PGR said that distributed generation is a public service revokes the Poasen, which is the regulation that defines distributed generation in the country. That would take an even greater backwardness "defended Ortuño.

Minister request

Last week, Edgar Gutiérrez, chief of Minae, told this newspaper that sent a second letter in pursuit of ARESEP accept a change in the Poasen regulation that allows the development of such projects.

"It will govern energy concession or permit. We, through Acesolar, we are trying to Minae be the decision maker and know that distributed generation you need is a permit In a house who will want to opt for a concession to install four or six panels? It really becomes innacesible by the step of requesting a concession to the ministry, "rebuked the employer.

ARESEP Act, Article 9 provides that an authorization certificate is required. It can be a license, permit or authorization to do with Poasen is the Minae which you define the characteristics of those licenses or permits.

"The regulatory authority shall not participate in any moment of this pilot project that drove the ICE. Even operated during the beginning of the validity of the regulation Poasen issued and valid for one year (...) The regulator what you foresee is that the technical provisions are met, companies are required to analyze what interested customers are in distributed distribution and sale of surplus, "said Carolina Mora, spokeswoman ARESEP.

Later this month the respective hearings for tariff setting will be made.

Source:'crhoy.com'

ICE and CNFL customers will suffer increases this year

August 23rd,2014.

Users of ICE and CNFL suffer an increase in their electricity bills over the coming months, if the pending formalities are met.

The Regulatory Authority for Public Services (Aresep) processes, from July 21, an application for adjustment of 3.7% by ICE. This, despite the fact that the Institute ensure that was not what I asked.

If ARESEP endorse such a request, subscribers of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) would pay 3.7% more from next October 10.

It also aims to increase prices its subsidiary, the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y ​​Luz (CNFL). Victor Solis, general manager of the company, said that the application submitted in September, although still not revealed how much your percentage.

The new rates for 520,000 subscribers of the Company enter into force two months after result supported by the regulatory body.

For three years, the CNFL not receive additional income by higher receipts for your customers. The last request-from 9.2% - introduced in 2012, but was rejected for errors or inconsistencies in the data.

The company justified before the Superintendency of Securities (Sugeval) that the rejection rate increases for many years hit their operational needs and investment.

However, ARESEP said that since 2012, the Company has not approached to present tariff studies, under current regulations, must be delivered to you once a year.

In any case, the request CNFL up in September with the excuse that through a financial crisis drowning in rising debts (now totaling ¢ 279,000 million) and June recorded ¢ 7,000 million in losses.

Source: 'La Nación'

Minae wants to give more power to Recope in renewable energy

Minister admitted after opening of the national dialogue on transport

April 16th,2015

The Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae) asking it to give more power to Recope, so you can work with all kinds of renewable hydrogen, biofuels or biodiesel, alcohol ...

This was announced by Edgar Gutierrez, chief of Minae, adding that to achieve aims modifying the Constitutive Act of the Costa Rican Oil Refinery (Recope), No. 6,588, issued in 1981.

This is necessary because this legislation is what prevents the Refinery import or work with substances other than hydrocarbons.

The minister made it clear that approves the proposals presented at the Congress benches of the National Liberation Party (PLN) and the Frente Amplio (FA). These seek to change the law and allow Recope develop clean energy projects.

The intent of giving more power to the entity gained currency after its executives decided curb their contribution to the project hydrogen engine, powered by the firm Ad Astra and led by scientist Franklin Chang.

This then, as we questioned the Comptroller General of the Republic and confirmed the Attorney General, the Refinery has no such competition.

Dialogues. The minister spoke about Recope shortly after participating in the opening of the roundtable on transportation and fuel, which would serve as an input for the VII National Energy Plan.

According to the criteria of Gutierrez and Carlos Segnini, Minister of Transport, the country should strive to renew its fleet and improve working conditions and the attractiveness of public transport.

They added that fuel quality matters Recope is already "excellent".

Fernando Llorca, acting minister of Health, said that the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) air quality deteriorates and is a critical threat, in terms of public health.

This roundtable that drives Minae consists of eight sessions (one per week) and include the lines: clean transport and energy efficiency, alternative fuels and energy.

"There are about 40 or 50 people that have been recorded so far in this new table. What we want is that stakeholders contribute in developing the plan and consider their concerns, "Gutierrez said.

This is the second attempt to involve Minae sectors in a national discussion. The first, in which he spoke about the future of the matrix and the energy system, was made last year and, according to Gutierrez, was successful.

The draft of these first results would be ready next week, and national policy before December.

The chief of Environment said that the country's promise of achieving carbon neutrality by 2021 is maintained, but acknowledged that the main challenge is that 67% of greenhouse gases are generated by the transport sector.

Source: 'La Nación'