The Official State Bulletin published on 13 July 2013 made reference to Royal Decree 9/2013, a law which calls for renewable energy grants to be removed as well as other restrictive measures which, far from promoting the consumption of green energy, actually make it more difficult. The working teams and the Goiener Executive Committee itself have evaluated these changes; we have also received a few requests for information from prospective members who, after having seen the abovementioned law and the surrounding news, are concerned that the future of the cooperative is uncertain. Given these circumstances, we thought now is the perfect time to clarify our position as follows:
1.- GOIENER was born in difficult times, during a period when government grants for renewable energy were being phased out. Even so, the cooperative project was opening up many more horizons and opportunities and this led us to decide to continue with the idea. Since January 2013, we have already managed to add around 500 members to the cooperative, and even a municipality has become a collaborative partner (Bera, Navarra). This is something which strengthens our resolve to bring about change in the current energy model.
2.- Even though we haven’t been around for long, we are no strangers to these regulatory threats. The clear purpose of the new LAW is to reduce the tariff deficit, reducing all the difficulties involved in the sector to a financial issue (and ignoring aspects such as energy dependence, waste, external environmental factors, etc.). Even worse, there are two groups in particular (although there are others) which are burdened with the weight of the solution: renewable energy consumers and producers. This means that the State will use the so-called ‘regulated costs’ so that increases are absorbed by the final energy price which we all pay. Meanwhile, it will also return to applying backdating measures which will primarily affect small producers. The icing on the cake is that the Royal Decree has got off to a less than auspicious start due to ministerial ‘forgetfulness’.
3.- Along with the RD-Law, other Royal Decrees and Ministerial Orders will apply. The toll order will already have come into force in August (this practice is known as agosticidad or ‘Augusticity’ in Spanish, and refers to the habit which politicians have of waiting until the summer months to pass regulations which would otherwise be greeted with a negative reaction) and will involve electricity bills going up by an average of 3.2%. Moreover, the FIXED RATE TARIFF will undergo a disproportionate increase, thus affecting those consumers who save the most and empty homes. The energy expert Javier García-Breva summarises the effect of these measures is as follows: “In wanting to collect more money and guarantee income from the system, the effect will be a greater drop in the demand for electricity and the tariff deficit will increase as a result.”
4.- Another disastrous consequence will more than likely be the “BACK UP TOLL” coming into effect, which would basically involve the self-sufficient consumer paying a TAX for not using the grid supply. This is like having to pay tax to a large food supplier if we want to eat tomatoes that we have grown on our own plot of land, all because the large company would sell fewer tomatoes and the lorry to transport them would therefore work out more expensive. This measure is one of the worst because it condemns a whole sector which is already in a critical condition (those who install and produce renewable energy) and reduces the options available to GOIENER when it comes to encouraging its members to apply these kinds of solutions. GOIENER is currently taking the necessary legal steps via the Platform for a New Energy Model, (Px1NME ), although it is difficult to achieve a response in the short term from this course of action.
5.- As an energy RETAILER, GOIENER is not at risk under the new law. The most they can ask from us is that we provide some extra collateral, which would be in addition to the deposits we are already obliged to provide for managing the consumption of our members. This reinforces just how essential it is for us to protect ourselves financially.
We therefore wish to emphasize the importance that each member holds for the cooperative. The financial support provided by each member allows our group to have the necessary funds available and prevents us from having to apply for credit, something which would put the cooperative in a vulnerable position. It is thanks to you that this is not the case.
This also brings us to reiterate that we must increase the number of cooperative MEMBERS as much as possible. Those new members would not necessarily need to be CONSUMERS, as their contribution alone would help make the cooperative more stable and resistant against the ever likely ‘attacks’ from the regulator, which we will not take lying down.
We urge you to encourage the people around you as much as possible so that they participate in the project, or to forward this message onto them.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
