Draft law amending the Electricity Market Act (556 SE) – third reading
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th sitting, plenary session
Date: 2025-05-14 17:41
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 22
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 31m
AI Summaries: 22/22 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The third agenda item concerned the third reading of the draft law amending the Electricity Market Act, initiated by the Government of the Republic. The draft focuses on regulating grid development and connection fees, and the network usage fee, to increase supply security and provide developers with a clear and predictable investment right. The most important questions discussed were how fixed connection fees and grid development obligations would affect consumer costs, and whether these solutions would encourage the development of dispatchable power (to reduce dependence on dispatchable sources and reduce risks in the operation of the grid and electricity market). The Estonian discussion noted the need to balance the pace of the green transition with ensuring energy security, taking into account potential beneficial funding for carbon capture technologies and the potential of existing resources.
In a second part, different viewpoints were highlighted, and the regional context was also mentioned: the Reform Party emphasized transparency and supply security, while EKRE, Isamaa, and SDE made additional observations regarding consumer burden and economic balance. News from Latvia, regarding the suspension of wind farm development on state land, prompted the idea that more sensible decisions could reduce the growth of costs and risks in Estonia as well. Finally, a clear conclusion was made that draft law 556 was passed as a law, signifying a significant change in the organization of the Estonian electricity market.
Decisions Made 1
Bill 556 was passed into law. Fifty-eight members of the Riigikogu voted in favor, 29 voted against, and there were 0 abstentions.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Rain Epler (EKRE). He represents a right-wing political [position] and is reportedly a member of the EKR faction; his participation debated strongly on how to resolve network developments, connection fees, and energy security, and his attention was focused on criticizing the bill’s impacts and highlighting alternative solutions.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Rain Epler, on behalf of the EKRE faction, opened the discussions for the third reading of Bill 556, the Act amending the Electricity Market Act.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler urged a vote against the draft legislation, arguing that Estonia's priority must be developing dispatchable capacity and mitigating the risk associated with excessive investments and potential fines from Elering. He stated that the requirement to generate 100% of electricity from renewable sources is unrealistic, noting that problems could arise without dispatchable capacity, and pointed to Latvia's example as demonstrating a sensible path forward.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks you and is representing the Reform Party faction as Mario Kadastik.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Draft Bill 556 enhances transparency and security of supply by establishing a fixed connection fee and a clear network underutilization charge. Furthermore, it sets a specific development plan for Elering and, supported by technological changes, incentivizes investments and improves the stability of the electricity grid.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks you and requests that Aleksei Jevgrafov speak on behalf of the Estonian Centre Party Faction.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The rapporteur emphasizes that instead of burdening consumers, the focus must be on protecting energy security, maintaining the role of oil shale energy, and developing CO2 capture technologies, while remaining critical of the draft legislation and considering alternative solutions.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
On behalf of the Isamaa faction, Aivar Kokk thanks you and submits a request.
Aivar Kokk
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Aivar Kokk emphasizes that Estonian energy policy must be based on Estonian interests, ensure dispatchable and affordable electricity, and stop the payment of fines and CO2 taxes that burden consumers, focusing on domestic solutions (such as oil shale and CO2 capture in Narva) and reducing reliance on foreign interconnectors to guarantee cheap and reliable electricity.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi says he is pausing his speech for a moment.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The address is a brief request for three additional minutes.
Aivar Kokk
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Aivar Kokk said that the draft bill is partially sensible, but it contains a lot of nonsense and potential harm to end consumers, and could lead to an economic downturn. Consequently, Isamaa cannot support this draft bill, which is hostile toward the people and businesses.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
He/She thanks [the body/person] and asks Jaak Aab to represent [them] based on the authorization of the Social Democratic Party faction.
AI Summary
Jaak Aab outlines the key amendments in Draft Bill 556 SE, which focus on introducing a fixed connection fee and expanding network development while considering future potential, clarifying the development of distributed renewable energy sources and the underutilization fee to ensure energy security by utilizing the grid more efficiently. He also emphasizes that oil shale electricity is not the cheapest option today, and CO2 capture technologies remain expensive.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi requests three additional minutes.
AI Summary
Jaak Aab said that the draft bill makes the rules for reverse auctions more flexible, allowing the use of dispatchable plants and storage devices instead of solar or wind energy. This would increase the diversity of capacity and energy security, and likely result in a lower price, although it might lead to litigation regarding the legality of switching technologies.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech began with profuse thanks, and it was announced that Rain Epler would deliver the response on behalf of the EKRE faction.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler criticizes Kadastik for lying and states that although electricity must be produced from oil shale in the short term, the viability of CCS is uncertain, and in the long term, energy policy must shift towards nuclear energy.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
During the address, Mario Kadastik is requested to deliver a response speech on behalf of the Reform Party faction.
Mario Kadastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mario Kadastik stated that Aleksei’s claim regarding the enormous burden is exaggerated, because the fixed fee for the socialized portion is only 0.002–0.003 cents per kilowatt-hour, and the average electricity bill will not increase significantly; the first reactor at the Canadian nuclear power plant is more expensive, the second one is cheaper, and there are no plans to build the first reactor in Estonia; the cost of labor in Canada is many times higher than in Estonia, and the economy will be on the rise for several quarters by 2025.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi concluded the discussions and announced that the final vote on Bill 556—the draft Act on amendments to the Electricity Market Act, initiated by the Government of the Republic—would be held, and he asked [members] to take a stand and vote.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Bill 556 has been adopted as law: 58 in favor, 29 against, 0 abstentions.