Investment and regulation in power industry - lasts a conference co-organized by the international organization ERRA and the President of Energy Regulatory Office
Over two hundred guests from Europe, Asia and the United States of America - regulators, representatives of government administration, energy enterprises and advising companies, on Monday was opened the debate of the eighth in the round of conferences organized by Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA).
The conference was opened by the chairman of ERRA, Gábor Szörényi, who outlined a short history of the organization and presented problems and tasks, which are set by the Association. The aim of ERRA is, among others, to favor the development of stable and autonomic regulatory bodies of the energy sector in the membership countries through exchange of information and experience in the scope of power industry regulation in countries transforming their economy and introducing power industry market reforms, as well as through the increase of access to knowledge concerning regulations and promotion of trainings of this range in countries of the region.
The guests were welcomed by the host of Warsaw meeting dr Mariusz Swora, the URE President, who underlined the importance of the conference from the point of view of the interest of the countries in the region and thanked for the possibility of organizing the conference in Poland. The URE President referred, in his speech, to the issue of liberalization of the energy market and security of deliveries. In the opinion of Mariusz Swora the liberalization of energy market is one of the greatest challenges facing European countries and regulators. Energy enterprises, which emerged from state monopolists, still float in a safe bay, where the competition is non- existing. Our role is to introduce as much competition into the energy sector as possible - stated the President Mr. Swora.
The URE President connected also the issues concerning the liberalization of the market and security of deliveries. To ensure the security of deliveries, today we need to think in regional cooperation terms. Building of common platforms for energy exchange as well as connections between countries, which share democratic values and ideas of free market - those are the primary tasks, which in turn should lead to the creation of strong, regional energy markets. Together we can build strong regional markets, based on trust and free competition - estimated the President Mr. Swora. Liberalization of the energy market should go together with respect of interest of the final consumers. The main principle connected with every pro-market reform in energy sector should be the care for consumers’ interest - commented the President of URE. In his speech he underlined also the importance of the country’s policy regarding investment support. Stable fiscal policy, stable and clear legal regulations as well as rational land use planning - these things should be required from our governments to support investment in power industry - remarked dr Swora.
The first day of the conference passed on the subject of investment in electricity - issues connected with regulation and experience of Central and Eastern European countries as well as countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and alternative sources of energy - possibilities and barriers, which such sources create. During two sessions presentations were made by John Gulliver (U.S.A), Dr. Péter Kaderják (Regional Center for Energy Research), Dimitris Papastefanakis (Greece), Alberto Pototschnig (Spain). Tomorrows schedule includes speeches and discussions concerning the liberalization of energy market and issues of price regulation.