Starting in 2009, energy flows and financial flows related to the compensatory feed-in remuneration (KEV) will be managed via the balance group for renewable energies (BG-RE). Under the terms of Art. 24 Para. 1 of the Electricity Supply Ordinance, the SFOE is responsible for appointing a responsible party for the BG-RE and accordingly issued an invitation to tender in accordance with the WTO[1] Agreement. On 23 June 2008 Energie Pool Schweiz AG was awarded the contract for managing the BG-RE. The contract was signed today between the SFOE and Energie Pool Schweiz AG.

From 1 January 2009 Energie Pool Schweiz AG will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Purchase of targeted electricity from renewable energies (compensatory feed-in remuneration for small hydro power plants, biomass, wind, photovoltaic and geothermal power plants under the terms of Art. 7a of the Energy Act).
• Remuneration of producers at the rates defined by the Federal Council (in accordance with Annexes 1.1 to 1.5 of the Energy Act).
• Day-ahead forecasts of the production volumes of these plants.
• Sale, at the market price, of the purchased electricity to all other balance groups with connected end consumers.
• Collection of the difference between the compensatory feed-in remuneration rates and the market price from the swissgrid fund set up for this purpose. This fund will be financed by means of a surcharge of up to 0.6 cents per kWh, to be levied on all electricity consumers as from next year.

Energie Pool Schweiz AG is a leading independent provider specialising in services and systems for the liberalised Swiss electricity market. The company provides customers - currently consisting of more than 60 Swiss electricity distribution companies - with operational services for energy logistics (EDM and RMR), energy management (electricity procurement, forecasting, distribution support) and grid management (grid tariff calculation and unbundling for accounting purposes).

[1] WTO: World Trade Organization

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Swiss Federal Office of Energy

Internet: http://www.bfe.admin.ch