Minister of Energy Sanja Bozhinovska met with the Board of ZELS, where the main topic was the high electricity costs faced by public enterprises, schools, municipalities, and street lighting. Several possible solutions and measures were reviewed to help reduce electricity expenses for public institutions.
✅ Unified Procurement Template
As a first step, municipalities will receive a unified public procurement template for electricity, created in collaboration with the Public Procurement Bureau. This will ensure more favorable prices, greater transparency, and avoidance of unnecessary costs.
✅ Support in Electricity Procurement
Designated Ministry contacts will act as advisory support for institutions during electricity procurement.
✅ Purchasing Electricity Through the Macedonian Exchange
Public institutions will be encouraged to purchase electricity through the Macedonian Energy Exchange (MEMO), aiming to use the Macedonian market as the reference exchange instead of foreign ones like HUPX. This would help avoid additional transmission and other related costs.
✅ Energy Efficiency Projects
Municipalities requested Ministry support in implementing energy efficiency projects. Some already operate their own enterprises and installed photovoltaics but face administrative barriers in obtaining permits to sell surplus electricity. The Ministry will assist in overcoming these obstacles.
✅ Smart Street Lighting
About 60% of municipalities have already implemented smart lighting solutions, significantly reducing electricity bills. The remaining municipalities will be encouraged to follow suit.
✅ Accountability for Poor Energy Management
The issue of criminal liability was raised in cases of mismanagement in public procurement, delays in planning, and financial losses resulting in debts.
✅ Centralized Implementation of Energy Efficiency Projects
Municipalities proposed that energy efficiency projects be centrally managed by the Ministry of Energy for more efficient and faster execution, instead of being fragmented across different institutions.
The Ministry remains committed to identifying sustainable solutions for reducing public sector electricity costs and improving municipal energy efficiency. Additional measures will be discussed in coordination with the Government and relevant institutions and companies.
Further discussions were held on the actions municipalities can take in cooperation with the Ministry to implement projects that improve energy efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance citizens’ quality of life.
Respectfully,
Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources
