The Senate on Friday approved a government amendment to the 2023 draft budget that increases the expected cost of energy tariff shields by six billion euros, to cover in particular additional buildings, but which will be compensated according to Bercy. The senators complained about the late presentation of this amendment in the framework of the examination of the appropriations for ecology.
“It is not acceptable,” lamented the elected LR Jean-François Husson. “We are condemned to trust you,” added rapporteur Christine Lavarde, from the same party. Of the six billion, two are destined for “collective housing structures” not yet affected by the shield, that is, “EHPAD, autonomy residences, gendarmerie barracks, diffuse housing for collective structures”, specifies the text of the amendment approved by show of hands.
They must also respond to “the extension, by means of a decree in drafting, of the electricity tariff shield to all collective homes for heating common areas.” The other part of the extension, that is, three billion euros, is intended to make up for the deficit in the renewable energy sector, after “the early termination of contracts at the initiative of the producers since the summer of 2022, and unknown at the time of presentation” of the draft state budget for 2023.
A “compensated” cost
For years the State has supported these companies that require heavy investment, but today some producers prefer to withdraw and break purchase contracts at fixed prices guaranteed by the State. Currently, as market prices skyrocket, some prefer to sell their production directly at the best price and exit the system so as not to have to pay back the State, which will cost the authorities 3,000 million public euros.
“These breaches of contract will, however, make these producers responsible for the contribution on inframarginal electricity income, allowing the State to partially recover the corresponding amounts in the form of tax revenue,” the amendment specifies.
This modification “increases the net budgetary cost of shields by 6,000 million euros, which until now was 15,000 million euros”, specified the Ministry of Energy Transition. Questioned by AFP, Bercy specified that this additional cost would be “compensated in view of the upward revaluation of the contribution on the inframarginal income of electricians, that is, from 7 to 11 billion.” This contribution applies to electricity producers whose production costs are well below current market prices.
Source: BFM TV
