Energy cooperatives will serve as a catalyst for the development of renewable energy, small power grids and competition in the Ukrainian energy market.

On 17 February ILF attorney Ivan Bondarchuk among other experts took part in the presentation of the draft law “On consumer energy cooperatives” held with the support of Heinrich Böll Foundation’s Kiev Office. Among the speakers were such proponents of energy cooperation in Ukraine as People’s Deputy of Ukraine and member of the Parliament’s Energy Committee and the Office of Economic and Financial analysis Aleksey Riabchin, and co-founder of NGO Greencubator, Andrey Zinchenko.

Ivan Bondarchuk listed laws that are in the way of energy cooperatives and outlined the draft law’s provisions: “Legislation that regulates markets operating under natural monopolies and adjacent markets does not take into account the nature of energy cooperatives. They are likened to commercial monopolists, with all associated requirements and restrictions. Therefore, the goal of the draft law is to provide the public with flexible instruments in order to unite and satisfy their energy needs.”

At the end of the meeting, the experts designated issues that call for special consideration in regards to the draft law and agreed upon further steps. These issues will be taken under advisement by the writers of the draft law, which will be put before the Parliament within months.