Draft law amending the Electricity Market Act (555 SE) - third reading
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting
Date: 2025-05-07 17:10
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 22
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 34m
AI Summaries: 22/22 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu debated the third reading of bill 555, or the Act amending the Electricity Market Act, initiated by the Republic's Government. The main procedural controversy focused primarily on the topics of ensuring islanding capability, the role of oil shale energetics and its balance with burdens intended for consumers and grid operators. The bill’s aim was to create a framework that would guarantee the stability of electricity supply even during times when external connections or renewable energy production cannot handle the system without disruption; for this purpose, regulated capacity, storage capabilities, and potential taxes were planned. The debate deepened divergent understandings regarding the impact of lines and fees on consumers, energy security, and the Estonian economy as a whole.
Another aspect was the openly intended discussion: the discussion moved between companies and political forces and exerted pressure to pay for investments and guarantee base capacity and stabilization measures when wind or sun do not provide enough energy. The final session concluded with a vote, as a result of which bill 555 was adopted as law. This marked a significant step in Estonian energy policy, but still highlighted political disagreement regarding the burdens and investment involved.
Decisions Made 1
Bill 555 has been passed into law; the final vote result: 51 in favor, 27 against.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was h0h5_KKsWZc; he presented himself impressively in lengthy, substantive discussions and reflected on significant changes and core problems within the draft’s framework. His activity is divided into several speeches, and he repeatedly focused on the topics of island functionality, recording capabilities, and contour assessment. As a position, he can be categorized as "other" (among speakers, he primarily operated within the framework of the session's board or collective discussion, not with a direct party affiliation).
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi opens the negotiations for the third reading of the government-initiated bill to amend the Electricity Market Act No. 555, and represents the EKRE faction, Martin Helme.
Martin Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Martin Helme claims that Estonia's energy policy has fallen into ruin, and due to the green transition, Narva oil shale-fired plants and base-load production have been destroyed; consumers are burdened with taxes and other costs, and taxpayers' money is directed toward promoting renewable energy, which, as a result, does not guarantee stability in the energy grid, and he votes against the law in question.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, thanked and asked, on behalf of the faction, that Aleksei Jevgrafov speak.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Aleksei Jevgrafov emphasizes that to ensure the reliability of Estonia's electricity supply it is necessary to keep oil shale-fired power plants in operation and to ensure an islanding capability of about 1,000 megawatts of dispatchable capacity even when external connections do not function, while taking into account environmental impacts and the possibilities of CO2 capture technologies and the careful planning of the transition, because the lack of alternatives and the rapid transition to renewable energy may be burdensome for the economy.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks a colleague whether he would like more time.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The speech is very short and focuses on only one minute.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks for one more minute.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The example from Spain showed that renewable energy does not always guarantee a stable supply, therefore for now it is necessary to keep oil shale-fired power plants running until reliable dispatchable sources of electricity generation are available.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanks you and, on behalf of the Isamaa faction, presents Mart Maastik.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik criticizes the CO2 quota and the green transition policy, which have driven oil shale energy out of the market and brought a burden on consumers in the form of an islanding fee, emphasizing that the risk coverage should be financed by the grid operator, i.e. Elering, not by consumers, and offering a cheaper mainland interconnection as an alternative; Isamaa does not support the introduction of new taxes on consumers.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech begins with thanks, and on behalf of the Social Democratic Party's parliamentary faction, Jaak Aab is asked to speak.
AI Summary
Jaak Aab emphasizes that the bill strengthens the operation of the electricity system and consumer flexibility, eliminates the double taxation of electricity storage, enhances regulations, and introduces an island operation fee that would cover the costs of dispatchable capacity and the frequency reserve and may ultimately be reflected in consumers' bills, but greater energy storage and generation capacity would help make these costs cheaper in the future.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chairman Toomas Kivimägi requests three additional minutes.
AI Summary
Jaak Aab explains that Estonia will create an automatically deployable frequency reserve and additional storage capacities, the costs of which will be covered by Elering and which will cost consumers and producers together about 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, starting from January 1, 2026, and emphasizes the need for the precise methodology and the amount of the fees to be publicly disclosed in accordance with the law, which the Social Democratic Party supports but wants clarifications before it comes into force.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
She thanks you, and on behalf of the Reform Party faction, Yoko Alender presents a plea.
Yoko Alender
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Yoko Alender said that connecting the Continental European synchronous area between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Poland would involve investments of 1.6 billion euros and costs of about 1 cent per kilowatt-hour, and that withdrawing from the Russia- and Belarusian synchronous area would lead to the creation of a strong and affordable frequency reserve and the construction of a 200 MW battery park, with ongoing negotiations with market participants.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
They are asking for three additional minutes for the meeting.
Yoko Alender
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The presentation emphasized accelerating storage capacities and using them to maximize cheap renewable-energy hours, the need to use oil shale plants as a reserve to ensure energy security and price stability (the consumer pays about 13 euros per year), and the Reform Party supported the bill.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi thanked and said that Urmas Reinsalu found an opportunity to deliver a rebuttal, and it lasted two minutes.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu said that the draft is an absurd burden that would impose about 200 million euros in additional costs on consumers and producers, is unpredictable and unconstitutional, and Isamaa will vote against it and turn to the president to ensure that the law is not promulgated.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi announced that the negotiations had ended, submitted Bill 555 for a final vote, and urged colleagues to take a stance and vote on the Government-initiated bill to amend the Electricity Market Act.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The Estonian Parliament passed Bill 555 into law; 51 members voted in favor, 27 against, and there were no abstentions.