AGCM

PRESS RELEASE

Electricity market: Antitrust Authority launches investigation into a possible service dispatch agreement between companies belonging to the EGL, Repower and Tirreno Power groups.

The investigation aims at determining whether the companies restricted competition by sharing the market for certain dispatch services purchased from Terna, particularly as regards their provision during non-working days and public holidays in Campania Region.

At a meeting on 06 October 2010, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato decided to launch an investigation into whether several companies operating in the electrical power production and wholesale market had implemented a competition-restricting agreement in the markets for dispatch services purchased from the company Terna.
The companies under investigation are two companies belonging to the Swiss group EGL (EGL Italia and Calenia Energia), two to the Swiss group Repower (Repower Italia and SET), and Tirreno Power (a subsidiary of EblAcea and Energia Italiana).
The Antitrust Authority suspects that these companies may have engaged in conduct aimed at sharing the market for certain dispatch services purchased from Terna, specifically start-up to baseload demand during non-working days and public holidays in Campania Region – a service which Terna adopts to ensure grid voltage is maintained in the area during off-peak hours.
The investigation is to be concluded by November 30, 2011.


Rome, October 13, 2010