State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission

, Bulgaria

Key powers of the Commission in regulating the activities in the energy sector are to: 

• Issue, amend, supplement, suspend, terminate and withdraw licenses for the generation of electric/heat power, for the transmission of electric/heat power or natural gas, for the distribution of electricity or natural gas, for natural gas storage, for electricity trade, for the organization of electricity market, for the public provision of electricity or natural gas, for the public supply of electricity or natural gas and for the transit transmission of natural gas needed for the performance of the activities in the energy sector stipulated in the present Act 

• Adopt and publishes basic guidelines concerning its activities 

• Approve the common terms and conditions of the contracts in the energy sector 

• Exercises control in the cases envisaged in the Act 

• Carry out price regulation of the electric and heat power and the natural gas 

• Define the rules for trade with electricity and natural gas and the network technical rules at the proposal of the energy companies and controls their compliance 

• Adopt and controls the application of Methodology for the price formation of balancing energy

• Define the rules for access to the electricity transmission and distribution networks, respectively to natural gas transmission and distribution networks 

• Hold tenders for the construction of new capacities for electricity generation and for natural gas distribution in the differentiated territories defined by the inventory of the natural gas distribution territories 

• Elaborate and control the compliance of the electric and heat power and natural gas supply terms and rules, including service quality standards 

• Consider the energy companies requests for compensation of stranded costs and make decisions on the amount of the justified stranded costs and the approach for their compensation 

• Issue certificates to the electricity generators about the origin of the commodity electricity generated from renewable energy sources and from combined electric and heat power generation 

• Issue green certificates to the electricity generators using renewable energy sources and such generating combined electric and heat power 

• Define the allowed dimensions of the technological costs in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, in the generation and transmission of heat energy and in the transmission, distribution and storage of natural gas, in accordance with a methodology adopted by the Commission 

• Define the electricity generation availability and technical parameters, in accordance with which every generator may conclude transactions with eligible customers, electricity traders and other generators 

• Give its consent to the division, separation, merger by acquisition or merger by formation of new energy companies license holders 

• Permit the concluding of transactions for disposition of property with which licensing activities are performed, as well as other transactions that lead or may lead to security of supply disturbances as a result of indebtedness of the energy company

• Consider complaints of customers against licensees or of licensees against licensees related to the performance of the licensed activity.