This Act makes it obligatory for the institutions to save up to 15% of the energy consumed last year over the same period, while penalties are foreseen for the head of the institution in case of not meeting the objective.

Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Ilir Bejtja stated that the government has decided to keep the price of energy unchanged even though the cost in the budget for supporting the energy sector for this year is calculated at 28 billion ALL.

Bejtja said that only 3.48% of families are expected to be affected by the installation of the 800 kilowatt band, and this band, according to him, was aimed at educating the citizens.

“On average, 31,900 subscribers would be affected by this. We have over 1,200 subscribers who spend over 1,200 kilowatt hours and over 5,000 families who spend over 5,000 kilowatt hours per month. These families spend about 567 thousand megawatts of energy, or 75 million Euros. The total energy consumed by 1,092,587 families is 3 billion and 200 million kilowatt hours, or 3.2 terawatts,” stated Bejtja.

Bejtja said that this year the annual energy production is calculated at 3.58 terawatts, out of 4 terawatts which is the average.

“Next year, we are expected to face high prices again. For the coming year, 346 Euros per megawatt is calculated, while in the first quarter, 357 megawatts are calculated,” said Bejtja.

He explained that the expectations are that new capacities will be added next year.

“At the beginning of 2023, the commissioning of two floating platforms for the production of energy through the burning of oil is expected, while in the second six months of the year, the introduction of photo-voltaics into operation is expected. This will change the situation, because the production from the two platforms is expected to be increased by about 100 megawatts, which is over 10% of the daily consumption, while the energy from the sun comes during the peak, and is used as a balancing reserve”, said Bejtja.

While the MP of the Democratic Party Jorida Tabaku stated that there is no logic for the government to increase the price of energy for consumers, as the budget is allocating funds to support this sector. /j.p/p.s./

Asked about the Democratic Party’s Energy Program, Bejtja said that, it represents all the failures of the government under DP from 2005-2009 being repeated, where a catastrophe occurred, especially when talking about new hydropower resources. They used to issue worthless documents, without a project, carrying out no hydrogeological studies on 517 hydropower plants, which then created the market for hydropower permits, with profits, and most of them were never built.”

“Only a part has been built, which have been also verified by us, all, without exception, with deviation from the project approved by the technical opposition and the Technical Councils at the moment they have been licensed,” Bejtja added. //a.i/