No respite in the tug of war between Ségolène Royal and the constable of electricity – The Figaro

In the game, the rate of use of networks (transmission and distribution of electricity) for the period 2017-2021. It represents about a third of an electricity bill.

The minister of the Environment and Energy, Ségolène Royal, announced Saturday in a press release that it would consider “the follow-up to” the decision of the regulatory Commission of energy (CRE) to refuse his application for a revision of tariffs of electricity distribution networks.

“I am very surprised that a refusal could be made in 48 hours, then (…) the new tariff system does (should) come into force until the summer of 2017″, it is stressed in this release.

Ségolène Royal, who considers “essential that, in the context of a level of the tariff stable, its structure is evolving to promote the good practices of the energy transition”, so “examine(r) the action to be taken (…) to ensure that the tariffs can better take account of these changes as early as 2017, and in particular the conditions of a new deliberation”.

The CRE has set the end of 2016, these rates, known as “Turpe distribution”, which determines the remuneration of Enedis (ex-ERDF), a subsidiary of EDF in charge of the French network of electricity distribution lines (medium and low voltage). This Turpe accounts for about a third of an electricity bill. These amounts fund the investments on the electricity network. In November, the CRE had proposed an increase corresponding to a 2% increase in the price of electricity paid by the consumer. Insufficient to Enedis, the subsidiary of EDF in charge of distribution network.

Tuesday, as the law allows, Ségolène Royal has asked the CRE to review its copy. Forty-eight hours later, return to sender: the gendarme of electricity, to which the law reserves the last word in this folder, indicated that it maintained its decision. The changes desired by the executive “would lead to an increase of more than 3% of the invoice of the individuals.” He recalled that his decision at the end of 2016 would limit this increase to 2%.

If the recommendations of Ségolène Royal were followed, the increase would be 3 %. Surprising from a minister who has not the habit of defend decisions to the detriment of the consumer. Some 35 million households are affected, as well as hundreds of thousands of professionals. With Enedis, it makes gray mine: the company has never hidden that she is in need of additional resources to fund its heavy investment program.