USEA Upcoming Events

March 25-26 2015: USAID/USEA Black Sea Regional Transmission System Planning (BSTP) Project Working Group Meeting Bucharest, Romania

March 27 2015: USAID/USEA Black Sea Regional Transmission System Planning (BSTP)/Black Sea Regulatory Initiative (BSRI) Joint Project Working Group Meeting Bucharest, Romania

Albania

Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia to adopt natl renewable energy action plans without delay - Energy Community  -(See News) The Energy Community, a Vienna-based international energy policy organization, said on Tuesday it has once more formally requested that Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia adopt and submit to it their National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs)…

Albania: Salvaging the power sector – (IFLR) for more then two decades, the Albanian electricity power sector has been facing critical financial and operational problems, as a result of a number of issues and ensuing chain reactions…

Working Group to be Created as Part of Master Plan for Albania’s Gas Supply – (Eurasia) Azerbaijan and Albania have reached an agreement on creating a special working group to work out the feasibility study of the master plan for Albania’s gas supply, a message posted on the official website of Azerbaijani State Oil Company (SOCAR) said…

IMF approves next tranche of $457mn loan for Albania – (Business Recorder) The International Monetary Fund's board on Monday signed off on its latest review of Albania's $457 million loan program, and released 58.8 million euros ($66 million) of cash for the Balkan state…

Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia could face EU sanctions for failing to adopt Renewable Energy Action Plans – (dtt-net) The European Energy Community Secretariat warned that the three countries from the Western Balkans should “adopt and submit” to the Secretariat their National Renewable Energy Action Plans without delay as required by the EU regulations and agreed by above mentioned countries three years ago, or face sanctions for breaching the law…

Albania’s electricity distributor accused of over-billing – (dtt-net) Many households are accusing Albanian electricity distributor, OSHEE for massive over-billing, with two citizens already committing suicide for not being able to pay the accumulated bills…

Bulgaria

Bulgaria energy minister: Energy sector faces financial collapse – (Focus) ”The energy sector faces a financial collapse unless we take fast and adequate actions,” said Bulgarian Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova, speaking Sunday for the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)…

Former Bulgarian minister calls for shale referendum – (Shale Energy) Deputy chair of Bulgaria’s socialist party ABV and former Minister of the Interior, Rumen Petkov, is calling for a referendum in the Dobrich region to decide whether to allow shale gas extraction…

Departmental staff with Bulgaria’s energy ministry monitors natural gas supplies – (Focus) A departmental staff established with the Ministry of Energy monitors on a daily basis natural gas supplies to Bulgaria, the quantities in the Chiren gas depot and proposes decisions if necessary, the press centre of the ministry announced on Tuesday afternoon in connection with questions posed by media about a possible decrease in natural gas supplies…

Bulgaria energy minister: Contracts between NEK, US plants to be renegotiated – (Focus) Long-term contracts between the Bulgarian National Electricity Company (NEK) and the two US power plants will be renegotiated,” Bulgarian Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova said speaking at a press conference organised to report on the work done by the ministry in the first 100 days in office…

Bulgaria, Romania call for increased NATO presence, energy security – (Turkish Weekly) Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis issued a joint call on Friday for NATO to increase its presence in the member countries on the eastern flank…

Bulgaria capital to host meeting dedicated to national energy efficiency programme – (Focus) Bulgaria capital to host meeting dedicated to national energy efficiency programmeSource: Focus Information AgencySofia. Bulgarian capital city Sofia is to host Monday a meeting dedicated to the National Programme for Energy Renovation of Multi-family Residential Buildings…

Bulgaria President to Discuss Energy Ties with Romania's Iohannis – (Novinite) Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev is due to meet with Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis on a Friday visit to Bucharest. Plevneliev is the first head of state to do this since Iohannis was sworn in following his unexpected victory against PM Victor Ponta in November…

Bulgaria energy minister: Deficits in NEK not artificial but very real – (Focus) Bulgaria energy minister: Deficits in NEK not artificial but very realPicture: Focus Information AgencySofia. “Deficits in the system of the National Electricity Company (NEK) are not artificial but very real,” Bulgarian Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova said speaking with journalists… 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Oil discovered in Bosnia's Serb entity – (dtt-net) Serbian Oil Industry company (NIS) has found oil reserves in Bosnia's Serb entity, but local authorities say much more must be found in order to be explored and the project be profitable…

Bosnia's 2014 power exports dropped 12 percent on lower hydro – (Reuters) Bosnia's power exports dropped by 12.3 percent last year after record floods in the region trimmed power generation by 7.6 percent to 15,684 gigawatt-hours (GWh), the state statistics agency reported on Friday…

Four feared dead in Bosnia mine accident – (Reuters) Four people believed to be illegal miners were feared dead after a landslide at an opencast lignite mine at Dubrave in northeast Bosnia, police and officials said on Sunday…

Landslide kills four at Bosnian lignite mine – (Reuters) Rescuers recovered bodies of four men believed to be illegal miners 18 hours after a landslide at an opencast lignite coal mine at Dubrave in northeast Bosnia, police and officials said on Sunday…

Croatia

Croatia gets 7 bids for onshore oil/gas exploration – (Reuters) Croatia has received seven bids at an international tender for onshore exploration of oil and gas in the northern Drava river basin and the east of the country, Economy Minister Ivan Vrdoljak said on Wednesday…

Croatia's INA to restart Sisak refining in April – (Reuters) Croatia's INA is expected to relaunch refining at its plant in Sisak in April, Economy Minister Ivan Vrdoljak said on Wednesday.  INA's co-owners, Hungary's MOL and the Zagreb government, have been wrestling for control of Croatia's biggest utility for three years…

Croatia aims to become energy hub in SEE – (dtt-net) Croatian government is hoping the country will become an energy hub in South-East Europe as authorities are about to launch massive oil and gas exploration in its Adriatic Sea waters, on top of the EU gas pipeline from Azerbaijan, TAP, and plans for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal for imports from the US…

Energy: Croatia, seven offers for drillings in the east – (Anna Lindh Foundation) Seven multinational companies are interested in drillings in Slavonia, a region in the east of Croatia, where since the beginning of the Seventies oil and gas have been extracted and which according to Croatian government sources still holds ample reserves, media in Zagreb reported…

Kosovo

Turkish electricity company caught cheating Kosovo consumers – (dtt-net) Turkish electricity distributor in Kosovo, KEDS, is caught cheating some 25.000 consumers with unreliable counters imported from Germany…

Kosovo Faces Unplanned Power Shortage of 400 MWh – (Energetika) The company explained that during the day and until Unit B1 is reactivated there might be interruptions in electricity supply due to the lack of capacities and energy resources in Kosovo…

Montenegro

Wider Collaboration in SEE Region – Also in the Energy Sector – ( Energetika) This ministerial visit was organised in light of the Western Balkans conference held last August in Berlin that is continuing through regional conferences, such as those in Budva and Belgrade, the aim of which

Montenegro: GEN-I Increases Its Trading Share from 4.1% to 21.07% in January - ( Energetika)

GEN-I increased its share in electricity trading in Montenegro from 4.106% in December 2014 to 21.07% in January 2015. Interenergo's share grew from 16.64% to 19.15%, data released by the Montenegrin electricity…

Montenegrin Parliament to Discuss Privatisation of Power Utility EPCG - ( Energetika) Some members of the Committee for Monitoring and Control of Privatisation felt that the discussion on the privatization of EPCG should take place in the third quarter of the year, after the outcome of negotiations…

Romania

Romania Considers Reviving Support for Renewable Energy – (Bloomberg) The Romanian government is considering changes to a support program for renewable energy after a cut in incentives last year made many wind and solar power projects unprofitable…

Romania’s future energy strategy, due by October – (Romania Insider) Romania’s future energy strategy could be completed by September or October this year and will focus on energy security, said Energy Minister Andrei Gerea, cited by local Mediafax…

Romania must shut down all unprofitable energy producers by 2018, say officials – (Business Review) Romania must close by 2018 all unprofitable energy capacities and the Romanian authorities will have difficulties in persuading the EU that they are not trying to circumvent the rules, as they have a low credibility, according to the president of the Competition Council, Bogdan Chiritoiu…

Legislation changes put off energy investors in Romania – (Romania Insider) Managers of energy companies said that they were reluctant to invest in Romania after two legislative amendments within two years have shaken the confidence in the long-term profitability of the local energy sector.

Chevron gives up shale gas exploration in Romania  -(Euractiv) Chevron Corp said it will give up shale gas exploration plans in Romania, after an assessment showed the Black Sea state does not compete favourably with other investment opportunities…

Romania needs a pumped-storage hydro-power station – (Act Media) Romania should begin building a pumped-storage hydro-power station, such facilities being direly necessary as the National Energy System is facing operating safety risks, Energy Ministry advisor Adrian Marin told a specialised conference on Thursday…

Romanian Electrica’s acquisitions in Moldova, conditioned by pro-EU attitude – (Romania Insider) Romanian electricity distributor Electrica is interested in entering the power distribution market in the Republic of Moldova through an acquisition, but this depends on the Moldovian authorities’ pro-European attitude, said the company’s director Ioan Rosca, cited by local Mediafax…

Serbia

Serbia gets 2 new gas power plants – (dtt-net) Two more power plants have started producing a total of 2.3 MW of electricity with gas, a project worth of 3 Euro million, Serbia's energy company, NIS, announced…

Serbia agrees to restructure gas company according to EU rules – (dtt-net) Serbian government agreed with the European Energy Community Secretariat with the unbundling of the state-owned gas incumbent Srbijagas, according to which the company will set up a legally separate subsidiary in charge of network operation as of next month…

Republika Srpska and Serbia Join in Building Hydropower Plants – (Energetika.net) As Minister Đokić said – according to Energetika.ba – partners are interested in building hydropower plants (HPP) on the Middle Drina river, but, of course, all other institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina…

Serbia's NIS Found Oil in the Republic Srpska, BiH  – (Energetika.net)According to the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining of Republic Srpska, Petar Đokić, and quoted by Nezavisne novine daily, the finding of oil in Obudovac in the Posavina region is great news…

Armenia

USAID provides new flow-meters to Armenia’s Ministry of Nature Protection – (Public Radio of Armenia) The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) presented flow-meters to the Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia at the official handover ceremony, held on February 24 at “Masisdzuk” fish farm in Sayat Nova village of Ararat province.Susan Fritz, USAID’s Acting Assistant Administrator for the Europe and Eurasia Bureau, Karen Hilliard, the head of USAID/Armenia, Simon Papyan, theDeputy Minister of Nature Protection, VahanDavtyan, the head of the Water Resource Management Agency of the Ministry of Nature Protection, and other state officials attended the event…

USAID Acting Assistant Administrator Susan Fritz Travels to the Caucasus – (Presszoom) U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Susan Fritz will travel to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia from February 20 - March 5. Acting Assistant Administrator Fritz's visit will include meetings with government officials, civil society, international partners, and USAID staff in these countries…

Armenian government approves changes to Vorotan cascade deal – (News.am) The Armenian government on Thursday approved the changes to a treaty on selling Vorotan cascade to the American Contour Global. The revised version of a treaty as supplemented by an inventory of Vorotan cascade…

Electric Networks of Armenia incurred 11 billion drams losses last year – (ARKA) Armenia's  Russian-owned national power utility -Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA)- incurred last year 10.7 billion drams worth losses, up from 9.9 billion drams it had incurred in 2013, ENA's CEO, Yevgeny Bibin, said at today's session of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC).

Electricity tariff hike not excluded – (Public Radio of Armenia) There is currently no clarity regarding the possible hike of electricity tariffs, Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission Robert Nazaryan said during the discussion of the Commission’s activity in 2015. He did not rule out the possibility of price hike in 2016…

EEU and Export: Too soon to tell whether Armenia profits from union membership – (Armenia Now) No positive change has been registered in the volumes of Armenian export after becoming a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), but two months is not enough to evaluate the situation, specialists of the field said…

Government approves amended agreement on privatization of Vorotan power plant – (ARKA) The Armenian government has approved today the updated and amended agreement on the privatization of Vorotan cascade of hydropower plants, signed last year with a US-based company… 

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan among pillars of EU Energy Union  -(Azernews) Europe with its timely decision on the Southern Gas Corridor to carry gas from Azerbaijan, as well as other sources, to European markets seems to avoid a potential energy drama…

How Azerbaijan Is Coping With Crisis  -(Stratfor) Azerbaijan is trying to weather two separate but interrelated crises. The large-scale drop in global oil prices and the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine are defining the country's energy industry and broader strategic position…

Azerbaijan ups electricity export – (Azernews) Azerbaijan has increased electricity export by almost two times in January 2015. The country exported 17.52 million kilowatt hours of electricity this January. This comes as in the first month of 2014, 9.6 million kilowatt hours were exported, the State Customs Committee reported…

Azerbaijan devalues currency as oil’s decline hurts exports – (Energy Voice) Azerbaijan, the third-largest oil producer in the former Soviet Union, devalued its currency after the falling price of crude pressured the country’s finances…

EU courts Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan gas as Russian links sour – (Europe) The EU is stepping up a charm offensive in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan as relations with Russia worsen, in a drive to put the gas-rich but politically sensitive countries at the heart of the bloc’s energy strategy…

EU prepares gas agreements with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan – (CIHAN) Europe intends to find a technical and legal basis for the Turkmen gas supply via Azerbaijan, the European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič said, Financial Times reported… 

Georgia

TBC Bank Strengthens Support for the Georgian Energy Sector – (Financial) TBC Bank has funded over 10 energy projects, amounting to GEL 150 million. An additional 4 projects are in the pipeline. Meanwhile the Bank has taken on the responsibility of getting involved in the further development of the Georgian energy sector. In regard to this, the Bank initiated and organized a conference which brought together decision-making bodies to discuss the challenges and opportunities of one of Georgia’s most promising business sectors…

Tbilisi to host Georgia-Turkey-Azerbaijan Foreign Ministerial – (Agenda.ge) Georgia is gearing up to host the 5th meeting between Georgian, Turkish and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers later this year…

Petrocas Energy Group and Rosneft Hold ‘Future Corridor’ Presentation in London – (Financial) Georgian oil transportation company Petrocas Energy Group and oil company Rosneft participated in the International Petroleum (IP) Week that took place in London… 

Turkey

Turkey ready to cooperate to provide energy security for Central Europe – (Daily Sabah Energy) me Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that the government is willing to cooperate in energy supply and demand of Central Europe, especially Hungary…

New 'action plan' targets 61GW of renewable energy for Turkey by 2023 – (Out-law.com) Around 30% of Turkey's energy generation capacity could come from renewable sources by 2023, under ambitious plans developed by the country's Ministry of Energy and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)…

Energy Community representatives to monitor Turkey's energy markets – (ICIS) Energy Community representatives will start monitoring the liberalisation process in Turkey as concerns about its natural gas market are growing, ICIS has learnt…

Turkey as a member of the Energy Community  -(Daily news) Due to its favorable geographical location as a bridge between a supply-demand line and its dependence on energy imports, Turkey’s vision is to become an energy hub of the “region.”..

Turkey, Hungaria PMs meet over Russia's ‘Turkish Stream’ gas pipeline – (dtt-net) Turkish and Hungarian premiers met in Bucharest with the main issue of the talks the Russian ‘Turkish Stream’ project pipeline which Moscow wants to be continued through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary to reach other EU countries…

Turkey: Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) And Turkey – (Mondaq) n terms of the power generation, using the natural gas takes first and the coal takes second place in Turkey. The production of electricity from renewable resources is approximately %3,7 in the world and this rate is %3,1 in Turkey…

Turkey imports electricity from Iran – (Zawya) Turkey's Energy Regulation Organization has lodged request with Iranian Ministry of Energy to import electricity from Iran, it was announced on Monday.

IRNA Economic Desk said that Iran has set up high voltage electricity transfer line at two border points with Turkey, one from Iran's Bazargan City to Turkey's Duqqu Bayazid City and the other one from Iran's Khoy City to Turkey's Bash Qala City…

Turkey outlines ambitious wind target – (Wind Power) The intiative comes as Turkey seeks to decrease its dependence on energy imports, meet rising demand for power in a sustainable fashion and step in line with the European Union's renewable energy directive…

Turkey’s energy watchdog puts new price cap on fuel companies – (Daily News) Turkey’s energy watchdog has announced it will put a new price ceiling on fuel companies. “Our board has decided to put a price ceiling over fuel prices in accordance with the related articles of the Oil Markets Law, numbered 5015, as the fuel distribution companies did not act in line with the price regulations at its meeting on Feb. 19…

EBRD supports Turkey’s transition to renewable energy – (Renewable Energy Magazine) The Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has developed the country’s first National Renewable Energy Action Plan, in line with the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive and with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)…

Turkish electric cars begin mass production in three countries – (Daily Sabah Automotive) DMA, the designer company of electric cars that can travel for 400 kilometers after a single charge, has signed a license deal with three countries for mass production. DMA CEO Önder Yol said that by selling licenses to the world, they are bringing foreign exchange to Turkey…

Ukraine

Ukraine makes 'emergency' wind tariff cut – (Wind Power) Ukraine's energy regulator has announced a reduction of the existing wind tariff in the country by 10%. This decision will be valid for a "period of emergency" in the Ukranian energy sector. This was introduced by the recent decree of the Ukranian Cabinet of Ministers dated of 14 January "on the introduction of provisional emergency measures on the market of electric power" and the letter of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine…

Ukraine's Naftogaz says Russia failed to deliver prepaid gas – (Reuters) Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz accused Russia's Gazprom on Monday of failing to supply gas that Kiev had paid for in advance, days after Moscow said it was sending some supplies for Ukraine directly to regions held by rebels…

Ukraine's Naftogaz cannot make pre-payments without Gazprom guarantees  -(Reuters) Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz said on Tuesday it could not make further pre-payments for Russian natural gas without guarantees from Gazprom that it would stick to an agreement for winter supplies reached last October in Brussels…

Russia warns of gas risks after Ukraine fails to pre-pay – (Daily News) Russia's Gazprom said on Feb. 24 there were "serious" risks to gas transit to Europe via Ukraine after Kyiv failed to make a pre-payment. Gazprom said in a statement that Ukraine had 219 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas left that would be used up in two days. With no new payment, Russia would be forced to stop supplies to Ukraine, Gazprom added…

Energy and hybrid war  - (Asia Times) in the Ukraine crisis - The Russia-Ukraine crisis contains important energy lessons: When it comes to energy, geography is still destiny - and pipelines still equal economic and political power…

Gazprom threatens to cut Ukrainian gas supplies  -(UPI) Russian energy company Gazprom said Tuesday it may halt natural gas deliveries to Ukraine within two days because of late payments…

No Decision to Halt Gas Deliveries to Ukraine Yet – Russian Energy Minister – (Sputnik news) Russia is yet to decide on whether to suspend gas sales to Ukraine, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Wednesday, commenting on reports about the possible shutdown of deliveries…

Russian natural gas flows to Ukraine stable –Ukrtransgaz – (Reuters) Russian natural gas flows to Ukraine are stable, Ukrainian gas pipeline operator Ukrtransgaz said on Monday.  Ukraine had received around 46.5 million cubic metres of gas on Feb. 21, a spokesman said…

As Ukraine-Russia Fight Over Natural Gas Again, Gazprom Ready To Shut The Spigot – (Forbes) Russia and Ukraine are at it yet again over natural gas payments with Gazprom threatening to stop deliveries by Friday…

Energy possibilities in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia  -(The Advertiser) Senior Commercial Officer Jim Lindley, U.S. Embassy, Kiev, Ukraine, and Jesse Lapierre, U.S. Consulate in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, will discuss energy opportunities in the energy industry for Louisiana companies at an 11:30 a.m. March 10 luncheon at the Petroleum Club of Lafayette…

 

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.