site.btaUPDATED Energy Act Amendments Regulate Establishment of Electricity Storage Facilities

The National Assembly adopted at first reading amendments to the Energy Act regulating the establishment of electricity storage facilities. The bill, proposed by Delyan Dobrev from GERB-UDF and a group of MPs, was passed with 200 unanimous votes in favour. 

The report of the parliamentary Committee on Energy says that energy storage plays an important role in the process of transition to a carbon-neutral economy, improves the stability of the energy grid, the security of electricity supply and reduces the gap between energy price extremes. For this reason, a wide range of storage technologies with all the characteristics in terms of power, capacity and response time should be deployed to contribute to grid stability, voltage regulation, operating reserve. 

The bill defines energy storage in line with the EU Directive as "deferring the final use of electricity to a moment later than when it was generated, or the conversion of electrical energy into a form of energy which can be stored, the storing of such energy, and the subsequent reconversion of such energy into electrical energy or use as another energy carrier." Energy storage activities would be carried out freely on the market without the need for a licence, the report said.

The commercial operation of energy storage facilities does not require a licence from the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission. Operators of storage facilities can become system service providers as well as enter electricity transactions, the report added.

Vazrazhdane MP Nikolay Kostadinov said his parliamentary group would support the bill and make proposals between the first and second readings. 

Continue the Change MP Vladimir Tabutov also expressed support for the adoption of the bill. He said that in order to make a successful transition to a low-carbon and independent electricity system, there must be at least two preconditions. First, the construction of new energy capacities that are not based on fossil fuels or imported ones, which is linked to the construction of new renewable energy capacities - solar and wind power plants. Second, the availability of electricity storage facilities to ensure the security, efficiency and flexibility of the electricity system.