Albania

Albania to cancel grid license amid power cuts  - (Miami Herald) Albanian authorities say the license held by a Czech company to operate the country's electricity grid will be canceled by the end of the month after a dispute between the company and the government led to extensive mid-winter rolling blackouts…

CEZ: Needs Albanian Consent to Sell Local Unit, Damages Unclear – (Fox Business) Czech utility CEZ AS (BAACEZ.PR) Thursday said it must resolve disagreements with the Albanian government to sell its troubled distribution subsidiary there, but stopped short of recognizing claims that it must pay compensation…

Kjetil Tungland: TAP has been designed in a way to connect to TANAP – (bsanna) The article entitled "Time to Act on Diversifying EU Gas Supplies" has been published in the January 2013 issue of the "New Europe" newspaper. The author, Kjetil Tungland, who is the Managing Director of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) examines the recent trends and development in the politics around the export of natural gas from the Caspian Basin to Europe... 

Bulgaria

Bulgaria PM: Ruling Party Supporters to Vote 'No' on Nuclear Referndum –(Novinite) Bulgarian ruling GERB party supporters will be instructed to vote 'no' at the January 27 referendum on nuclear energy, explained Bulgarian PM and GERB chair Boyko Borisov…

European Commission opens two abuse of dominance inquiries against Bulgarian and Romanian energy companies –(ACC) The European Commission (“Commission”) has announced two formal proceedings to investigate potential competition law violations by energy companies in Eastern Europe…

Bulgaria with EU's Largest Surge of Industrial Producer Prices Y/Y – (Novinite) In November 2012, the largest annual increase in the EU in the total industrial producer price index was observed in Bulgaria, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union…

Bulgarian PM: We support two new reactors at NPP Kozloduy, not for Belene –(Standart) NPP Kozloduy CEO is to set off on a visit to China to negotiate the construction of a seventh reactor on the nuclear plant's site…

Bulgarian metallurgists’ biggest problem is high electricity price: association chief (FOCUS) The biggest problem metallurgists encounter every day in Bulgaria is the high electricity price, because metallurgy is an energy-consuming industry, Bulgarian Association of Metallurgic Industry Executive Director Politimi Paunova said in an interview with FOCUS News Agency…

Construction of Bulgarian South Stream Section Set for June 2013 – Gazprom – (Novinite) The construction of European overland section of the Russian-sponsored gas transit pipeline South Stream will start in Bulgaria in June 2013, according to a Gazprom statement… 

Bosnia

EBRD lends 10 mln euro for biomass boiler at Bosnian paper plant – (Cogeneration) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Wednesday it is lending 10 million euro ($13 million) to Bosnian pulp and paper producer Natron Hayat for the installation of a biomass boiler and steam turbine.

Cost-effective electric lights may help Bosnia save EUR 50 mln annually –(DALJE) The use of incandescent light bulbs, which were phased out in European Union member states in 2012, accounts for the consumption of 1.12 billion kWh of electricity annually in households in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a report by local media on the widespread use of traditional bulbs…

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Increasing energy efficiency in public facilities could save EUR420 million per year – (Balkans) Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Sarajevo by US Agency for International Development (USAID), German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), UN Development Program (UNDP) and EU Delegation to BiH on cooperation of donors active in area of energy efficiency in BiH… 

Croatia

Croatia to unbundle electricity TSO from HEP by 1 July 2013 – (ICIS) Croatia will unbundle its electricity transmission operator (TSO) HEP Operator Prijenosnog Sustava (HEP-OPS) from state-owned utility HEP by 1 July 2013…

National energy operator plans HRK 27 bln in investments by 2016 –(DALJE) Croatia's national power operator HEP by 2016 plans to construct and refurbish its existing plants with investments valued at HRK 27 billion, reduce its number of employees by about 3,000 through restructuring and cut operating costs by HRK 2.2 billion, CEO Zlatko Koracevic said on Friday at a presentation of the company's business plan 2012-2016… 

Kosovo

"Belgrade, Priština should discuss energy recourses" – (B92) BELGRADE -- Serbian Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlović says that energy resources should be discussed in the Belgrade-Priština negotiations with the EU mediation…

Macedonia

FYR Macedonia's Balkan Energy Group will supply Toplifikacija with heating energy – (Balkans) FYR Macedonia's energy regulator said it had awarded licences to local company Balkan Energy Group for supply of heating energy in most parts of Skopje previously held by heating utility Toplifikacija…

Macedonia's Balkan Energy Group wins Skopje heating energy licences – (Cogeneration) The Macedonian energy regulator said it had awarded licences to local company Balkan Energy Group for supply of heating energy in most parts of Skopje previously held by heating utility Toplifikacija…

FYR Macedonia's CPI up 4.7% in December y/y – (Balkans) According to the State Statistical Office data, the Consumer Price Index, measured by prices of goods and services for personal consumption, in December 2012, in comparison with November 2012, was 100.0, while in comparison with December 2011 it was 104.7… 

Montenegro

Montenegro adopts 2013 Energy Balance – (Balkans) Government adopted Energy balance for year 2013, where gross consumption is planned to be 3,634 thousand gigawatt hours, which is 8, 08% less than this year estimation of accomplishments…

Romania

Public lighting eats up more electricity in Romania in first 11 months of 2012 – (Romania Insider)  Romanians use more electricity in the first 11 months of 2012, but individuals made up a smaller portion of the increase…

Romanian TSO sheds light on electricity export cost rise – (ICIS) Romania's zonal tariffs have increased by 12% on average year on year. The rise of this component translates into total export costs to neighbouring countries rising by more than 9%, according to clarification from Transelectrica and trading sources active in the region…

Romania fails to hit 43MW PV target in 2012 –(PV Tech) In 2012 Romania installed 28.9MW of PV capacity which is 14.1MW short of its 43MW target, according to data published by Romanian grid operator Transelectrica…

Three new wind farms grid-connected in Romania  -(Power Engineering) Three new wind farms have been grid-connected in Romania, adding an additional 206MW of wind capacity hosted in the nation…

Romania, among top 10 most attractive countries for investment in wind energy – (ActMedia) Romania has made it for the first time among the top 10 most attractive countries in the world in terms of investment in wind energy in early 2012, and ranks the 13th in terms of the aggregate index for all forms of renewable energy, according to the Ernst & Young's quarterly report Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices.The subsequent trend throughout the year, although slightly fluctuating, has...

Serbia

Serbia's wholesale gas prices to rise by an average 10.4 pct – (Reuters) Serbian energy regulator AERS has approved an average 10.4 percent increase in wholesale gas prices for consumers supplied by the country's gas monopoly Srbijagas, its spokesman said on Wednesday…

$209 wind power investment in Serbia – (PennEnergy) Construction of Serbia’s first wind farm is set for this summer, with a subsidiary of Gazprom undertaking the development…

Serbia Sees Up to $16 Billion in Energy, Environment Investments – (Bloomberg) Serbia expects investments in its power and recycling plants may be worth 7 billion euros ($9.2 billion) to 12 billion euros over the next 10 years…

Serbia raising incentives for hydroelectric development – (Hydroworld) A new renewable energy development plan could reward small hydroelectric development with higher incentives, HydroWorld.com has learned…

Operation of IBS to begin in 2015 – (New Europe) The Bulgarian Ministry of Energy said at a press conference on 3 January that the operation of the Interconnection Bulgaria - Serbia (IBS) was expected to begin in the middle of 2015…

Bulgaria-Serbia Gas Pipeline to Be Ready in 2015, Ministry Says – (Bloomberg Business  Week) Bulgaria and Serbia plan to complete the construction of a 150-kilometer (93-mile) pipeline connecting their natural gas grids by 2015 to enable the two Balkan nations to diversify their fuel supplies…. 

Azerbaijan

Customs control over energy resources transportation improved in Azerbaijan – (Trends) The Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers has approved the rules for customs control over goods transported via the customs border through power lines and pipelines…

Partners of Energy Bridge project define electricity export route to Europe – (Trends) Electricity will be supplied from Azerbaijan to Greece through the 'Energy Bridge Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey' project, chairman and CEO of…

EBRD postpones approval of first loan for improvement of energy efficiency in Azerbaijan – (abc.az) Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has postponed approval of the first loan on Community Energy Efficiency Program (CEEP) for a private organization in Azerbaijan…

Baku Electric Network to cease power supply of subscribers from 12 am 17 December – (abc.az) The main retail supplier of electricity in Azerbaijan, Bakielektriksebeke (Baku Electric Network; BEN) has resumed its drastic methods in respect to customers with arrears on power bills... 

Georgia

Georgian Energy Minister brings clarity to issue of cost of Azerbaijani gas supplies – (Trends) Price of Azerbaijani gas specified in media sources with reference to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Georgia Kakha Kaladze does not reflect the real cost of supply…

Georgia may reduce gas tariffs – (Trend) A drop in the consumer tariff for gas is possible in Georgia, the country's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Kakha Kaladze told reporters…

Three months after the parliamentary elections – (Messenger) A difficult three months have passed since the parliamentary elections on October 1, 2012, which brought the Georgian Dream coalition to power. All of October was spent on the formation of parliament and government… 

Russia

Russia’s Gazprom, Novatek ink liquefied gas production deal – (Panarmenian) Russian energy giant Gazprom and Russia’s largest independent gas producer Novatek have signed a deal to jointly produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the Yamal Peninsula in the Russian Arctic, the companies said on Thursday, January 10, according to RIA Novosti…

The New Power Map - World Politics After the Boom in Unconventional Energy (Foreignaffairs) The energy map of the world is being redrawn -- and the global geopolitical order is adrift in consequence. We are moving away from a world dominated by a few energy mega-suppliers, such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, and toward one in which most countries have some domestic resources to meet their energy needs and can import the balance from suppliers in their own neighborhood…

Russian gas transit through Ukraine will not be lower than in 2012 – Stavytsky – (NRCU) The volume of Russian gas transit this year will not be lower than in 2012, Energy and Coal Industry Minister of Ukraine Eduard Stavytsky told reporters before the Cabinet of Ministers' meeting on Wednesday… 

Turkey

Turkey's grid operator urged to publish daily cross-border electricity flows – (ICIS) Turkey's grid operator TEIAŞ has broken down its information for electricity imports and exports by borders by month, but Turkish energy companies have urged the grid operator to publish that information daily…

TAQA enters exclusive talks for major Turkish power development –(AME Info) The Republic of Turkey and the United Arab Emirates today signed an Intergovernmental Agreement for the development of power plants and associated mines in the Afsin-Elbistan region of Turkey… 

Turkey turns to coal to loosen Iran, Russia gas reliance – (Reuters) Turkey is turning to its own coal, worried about dependence on pricier gas from Iran and Russia, after a deal with a UAE company which will boost its coal-fired power capacity by two thirds… 

Turkey begins talks with Qatar over gas deal – (Al Arabiya News) Turkey is seeking to buy an additional 6 billion cubic meters (bcm) of liquefied natural gas, including some from Qatar, under long-term contracts to meet its growing energy needs, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said… 

Qatar Considers Helping Build Turkish LNG Plant – (Gulf Business) A feasibility study is currently being carried out on the proposed project. Qatar is considering helping to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Turkey, the Gulf state’s news agency reported late on Tuesday, citing energy minister Mohammed al-Sada… 

Turkey ponders building gas terminal as energy demand rises –(BDLive) Turkey will discuss building a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal with Qatar on its Aegean coast to help meet rising domestic needs and as Turkey’s role as an energy supplier to Europe grows, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Saturday…

Turkey’s Energy Challenges – (Weekend Edition) Ankara will soon be confronted with some difficult foreign policy decisions that could affect its long-term energy interests. The discovery of vast reserves of natural gas off the coasts of Cyprus and Israel could oblige Turkey to resolve longstanding disputes with its neighbours…

Turkey to talk to Qatar about LNG plant as demand booms – (Reuters) Turkey will discuss building a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal with Qatar on its Aegean coast to help meet rising domestic needs and as Turkey's role as an energy supplier to Europe grows, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Saturday… 

Ukraine

Ukraine receives €28 million for energy sector development – (Forum) The Government of Ukraine has received the second tranche of EU funding to support the energy sector development. 28 million 140 thousand euros were transferred to finance the program "Support to the implementation of the Energy Strategy of Ukraine", the Cabinet’s press service informs…

Ukraine energy ministry orders heads of 13 coalmines to prepare property for privatization – (CoalGuru) The Energy and coal Industry Ministry of Ukraine has instructed heads of 13 state run coal companies by March 3, 2013 to prepare their property for privatization in 2012-2014.The order is stipulated in ministry resolution No 1004 of December 13, 2012 posted on the ministry's Web site in early 2013…

National energy regulator raises gas prices at state extractors – (Ukraine Journal) KIEV, Dec. 28 – The National Commission for Energy Regulation has revised prices of gas extracted in Ukraine for 2013 for large gas extracting companies in which the state holds over 50% interest…

EBRD’s $70m loan for Ukrainian coal sector – (Energy Live) A London-based bank has provided a loan worth $70 million (£43.5m) for a mining group in Ukraine…

This program is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the United States Energy Association and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.