The Renewable Energy Resources Act drafted by the Economy Ministry, stipulating support for the production of electricity from renewable sources and efficient combined production, was approved in Parliament on Tuesday. The legislation stipulates financial support for energy resources with output exceeding 125 megawatts, with at least 30 percent of the input made up from renewable resources, as opposed to the current level of 20 percent.
The act also allows the use of gases that are produced as a secondary product in metallurgy for electricity production. This change should support domestic energy resources in order to reduce the country's dependence from import of primary energy sources. The Opposition criticised the legislation as lacking transparency, claiming that it was tailor-made for U.S. Steel Kosice that had threatened to leave Slovakia. KDH MP Alojz Pridal noted that the bill will allow U.S. Steel to receive almost €15 million annually in the next 15 years.
