NewsWhore
07-24-2007, 05:10 PM
Last night the Chamber of Deputies approved changes to the General Electricity Law incorporating only parts of an Executive Branch bill that sought an overhaul of the Law. The changes approved criminalize the theft of energy by consumers and penalize the electricity distributors if they are found guilty of overcharging consumers for energy consumed. The law establishes 3 to 5 days prison, 3 to 5 minimum salaries, or both when the energy stolen is less than 1,000 kWh. The maximum penalty will be 3 years and fines of 320 to 5,000 minimum public sector salaries when the energy stolen is beyond 100 kilowatt of connected load if metering is at high tension. Deputies didn't change aspects that affect the energy regulators of the energy system, marginal costs and concessions. Articles 3 through 20 were rejected by the Chamber as were articles 24 through 27. Part of the law also establishes a penalty of between 3 and 10 years of prison and fines of between 50 and 200 minimum salaries to persons accused of intentionally destroying electric lines, networks, substations, or energy equipment.
The Chamber of Deputies also determined that power service can be cut if a client is behind paying his bill by only a month. In the past, clients had two months before service was suspended.
The modifications also affect large businesses. The Chamber of Deputies decided to set to 1.4 MW the level of demand for a single user to purchase directly from generators. The Law had established a level of 200 kilowatts, but the Superintendence of Electricity had administratively ruled in favor of power distributors that feared losing the revenues of the large companies. The new ruling establishes that over a four-year period the level of demand will be dismounted to a new base level of 1 MW in order to buy directly.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)
The Chamber of Deputies also determined that power service can be cut if a client is behind paying his bill by only a month. In the past, clients had two months before service was suspended.
The modifications also affect large businesses. The Chamber of Deputies decided to set to 1.4 MW the level of demand for a single user to purchase directly from generators. The Law had established a level of 200 kilowatts, but the Superintendence of Electricity had administratively ruled in favor of power distributors that feared losing the revenues of the large companies. The new ruling establishes that over a four-year period the level of demand will be dismounted to a new base level of 1 MW in order to buy directly.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)