A seminar on tariff regulation and grid connection was held in Novosibirsk

At present, the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, together with interested authorities, is implementing a set of measures to improve the efficiency of infrastructure industries. So, along with the reference principle of calculating sales surcharges, which guarantee that suppliers can eliminate the problems of tariff setting for electricity transmission services, FAS Russia plans to introduce the principle of "reference costs" in the electric grid complex from 2019. An important feature in the development of these standards for grid companies is the identification of strategic factors that significantly contribute to the cost of electricity transmission services.

Not less problematic is the issue of technological connection of consumers' power-receiving devices to the power grid: how to set the payment for the technological connection correctly; how to connect a consumer to the power network without compromising his rights, etc. The annual improvement of the Technological Connection Rules led the Russian Federation to the 10th position in the World Bank’s Doing Business ranking in terms of the Connecting to the Power Grid indicator; but systematic work to curb disagreements in this area will continue in the long term. At the same time, the National Plan for the Development of Competition in the Russian Federation for 2018–2020 (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 618 of 21 December 2017), with the direct participation of FAS Russia, provides for the approval of “road maps” for the development of competition in the electric power industry.

As the experience of training activities shows, the uniform application of legislation in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation is hampered by the lack of awareness by market participants of the initiatives of the federal antimonopoly authority and, of course, by different interpretations of certain provisions of the legislation on state regulation of prices (tariffs) and antimonopoly legislation. ART DE LEX regularly is involved in advice on pricing issues in regulated areas on the basis of economic analysis, as well as on the procedure for substantiating the costs of business entities in cases of violation of antitrust laws.

Tatiana Basova summarized "Due to the natural and climatic peculiarities of the Siberian Federal District, the efficient operation of network and sales organizations plays a key role in the development of the investment attractiveness of SFD regions. In this regard, power supply and grid companies are increasingly interested in training events on tariff and antimonopoly regulation. The ART DE LEX Antimonopoly Practice considers training seminars and lectures, including those in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as an additional opportunity to share practical recommendations and enforcement experience with interested parties in tariff (antitrust) regulation: consumers, authorities, and business entities.”