News that Prague-listed utility ČEZ will sell one or two coal-burning power plants with a capacity of 800–1,000 MW in a bid to end a European Commission probe into suspected anti-competitive behavior (and in line with plans to divest from carbon-emitting power generation capacity) has been welcomed by the markets. State-controlled ČEZ — which denies any wrongdoing — had faced a fine of up to 10 percent of its 2008 global turnover of $5.2 billion.

The markets have welcomed the Czech antimonopoly office’s (ÚOHS) approval of Prague-listed power utility ČEZ’s acquisition of the Energotrans heating plant from energy group EPH. Regulators had launched a detailed long-term probe into the deal, part of a larger asset agreement between ČEZ and EPH, on concerns that it could increase ČEZ’s grip of the electricity production market beyond an acceptable level.

Prague-listed energy group New World Resources (NWR) is looking for a partner from within the Polish mining sector to help develop its Dębieńsko mine project, the Polish daily Parkiet reported on Monday.

Poland’s Treasury Ministry announced on Tuesday it has agreed to sell the nearly 100 megawatt hydropower Niedzica plant to the Czech utility Energo-Pro, with the transaction expected to be finalized in the first half of 2013.