The not-so-sunny Czech Republic is fourth in the world for its solar power capacity thanks to over generous grants in the past which sparked a boom. Now the Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ) wants to curb any chance of any similar renewable El Dorado at the expense of the taxpayer with a ban on virtually all new support proposed from 2014.

Just as the previous Czech government gambled (and lost) on solar subsidies, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Petr Nečas (Civic Democrats, ODS) is pressing ahead to secure a green future regardless of the cost (in more ways than one). The proposed ‘green bonus’ for biomethane of up to Kč 4,000 per MWh will undermine the competitive position of natural gas in relation to far-less environmentally friendly fossil fuels, the Energy Regulatory Office head says.

The recently installed Czech energy regulator has got into a fight with some of the country’s biggest energy companies by attempting to change rules allowing them to duck normal competitive tenders for contracts within the regulated parts of the sector, mainly gas and electricity distribution and transport. The existing set-up means some power giants can even give business to daughter companies without problems.

Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ) chief Alena Vitásková says she is concerned that an article about her published in the weekly Euro, owned by Czech billionaire Petr Kellner’s PPF Group, could be part of a strategy by the investment firm to blackmail her. She says it cast doubt upon her independence and transparency in her new post while giving the impression the main aim was to “gain leverage” over her.