By: Peter Jančič (Spletni časopis)
“Please direct your questions to the company Star Solar at the address: info.starsolar@yahoo.com.”
This was the response from Prime Minister Robert Golob’s office to a journalist’s inquiry regarding how changes to network fee tariffs increased costs for the Prime Minister’s company, Star Solar. The question arose because the government demanded the reinstatement of old tariffs and the resignation of members of the energy agency board responsible for setting the new tariffs. Under the law, the Prime Minister is obligated to answer questions about his work, but not questions about a company he owns. Nonetheless, I followed the suggestion from the Prime Minister’s office and sent the inquiry about the impact of the tariff changes to Star Solar yesterday. Perhaps they will respond, given that the Prime Minister’s office, which owns the company, proposed that I ask them. The question I sent was as follows:
“Could you provide information on how much the monthly network fee for Star Solar has changed due to the tariff changes, which led the government to demand the resignation of the energy board members and the reinstatement of old tariffs? If possible, please provide specific data for the solar plant in Ptuj, which is by far the largest in capacity. This information would allow me to present to the public the extent to which the tariff change affects the business operations of the company owned by the Prime Minister.”
Without assistance from the Prime Minister or the company Star Solar, it is challenging to determine the impact of the changes on the financial statements of the Prime Minister’s company due to the complex billing system. Over recent years, the company has been highly profitable, generating profits exceeding the Prime Minister’s salary.
However, based on estimates from readers with similar systems and greater knowledge of electricity billing, the minimum monthly network fee for the Ptuj plant – by far the largest solar installation owned by the Prime Minister – could now be €545 per month. This tariff is exclusively for capacity charges. The energy tariff does not apply to Star Solar because it is not a consumer. It is also likely that the Prime Minister’s company now pays network fees for three smaller solar plants located in Ruše and Maribor. Previously, the methodology for determining regulatory frameworks and network fee billing excluded accounting capacity for renewable energy production plants below 50 kW capacity when connected directly to the grid. The clause stated: “For renewable energy production plants and high-efficiency combined heat and power generation plants with a rated capacity of less than 50 kW connected at metering points, the network operator does not charge capacity fees in the network tariff.” The network fee for billing capacity for the three solar power plants owned by the Prime Minister in Ruše and Maribor was previously zero. However, the new regulations state otherwise. The exception for billing capacity for power generation facilities directly connected to the grid now applies only to self-use and no longer to business use. Specifically: “For self-use of generation facilities from renewable energy sources and cogeneration facilities with high efficiency, which have a nominal capacity of less than 50 kW and are directly connected to the grid, the electricity operator does not charge grid fees for billing capacity.”
The practical difference and how much more Star Solar will pay under the new regulations will only be clear once the company provides a response, should they choose to do so. It seems appropriate for them to do so, given that the Prime Minister participates in tariff decisions. So far, there has been no indication from the government that he has recused himself from such decisions.
In electricity pricing, it is difficult to avoid situations where decisions affect the decision-makers themselves, as electricity is used by everyone
However, not everyone owns companies generating electricity through solar panels, as the Prime Minister does. In 2023, his company recorded revenues of €250,356 and a net profit of €71,789, while in the previous year it had revenues of €256,659 and nearly €100,000 in net profit, according to the company’s latest annual reports.
Based on this data, even a significant increase in grid fees is unlikely to pose a major challenge for the Prime Minister’s company. However, it will likely result in a slightly lower profit.
