Analysts see the changes to the public services law as inconvenient - Sectors

After knowing the intention of President Gustavo Petro to resume the regulation of public services and reform laws 142 (public services) and 143 (electricity law) that were created in 1994 to shield Colombia from a new blackout, various unions and analysts They claim that the measure is inappropriate.

The Colombian Association of Large Industrial and Commercial Energy Consumers, Asoenergía, the sector requires measures that must be approved expeditiously and are especially important, such as updating a balanced indexer for rates, loss control and generation of security, and signal functions for prompt and efficient expansion of both generation and transmission.

«It is important that the decisions that respond to and technically adjust the variables that are leading to the excessive rate increase and the lack of competition in the Wholesale Energy Market -MEM- in the National Interconnected System (SIN) are adopted in a timely manner» , exponent.

In addition, distribution expansions must be taken into account, the solution to the problem of exceeding the short-circuit level of some STN substations, the UPME expansion plans, They are portrayed and deeply lower the quality of service.

The union points out that it is necessary to update a balanced indexer for rates, loss control and security generation, and precisely the signals for a prompt and efficient expansion of both generation and transmission, without forgetting both the expansions in Distribution.

power plant. National University.

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‘It’s inconvenient’

«The measure that President Petro wants to take is inconvenient for Colombia and for the whole world because it is not necessary to review the laws, what must be done is to strengthen it. But let there be a policy planner regulator with a much more active role as a market player I don’t think it can be convenient”, explained the expert Alejandro Lucio.

The expert is clear and points out that these decisions are not ensuring the good behavior of the companies, «let’s say that our Colombian framework has determined activities in competition with private patents and having an integrated company does not provide favorable conditions for more companies and for their competition”, he analyzed.

In turn, Camilo Sánchez, president of the National Association of Public Services and Communications Companies (Andesco), explained that it is a historic setback in the country’s public services.

“It’s a very dangerous thing right now. We are building all the bridges, because a political decision can be a historic setback in public services. The CRA and the Creg have worked with technical people. Public service companies are monitored and have a maximum return of 12%, below inflation, ”he explained.

In addition, in the draft of the Development plan, Article 173 would grant Petro powers to create, suppress, restructure, merge, spin off, liquidate or integrate generation, distribution companies and commercialization of the electrical sector, which would give a greater participation to the Nation.

The president could then create a business group and affect other companies as the same nation provides energy generation, distribution and marketing services.

The idea would be to drive and promote the just energy transition, improve the provision of the service and generate efficiency in the management of entities and companies in the sector.

According to analysts, the companies that would be likely to enter into this process are the thermal generators Gecelca and Gensa and the Urrá hydroelectric plant, which together have 1,246 megawatts, adding up their assets. This is 6.7% of the net capacity with the country’s account.

In the case of distribution and marketing companies, the Nation has a stake in 10 of them, some of which are Cedenar, Electrohuila, Emsa, Electrocaquetá, Dispac, among others. It would be with these companies that the Government has the capacity to form this holding that is estimated to serve 2 million homes.