Distributed generation rates are set by ARESEP

This ICE release was published using machine translation.

In response to public demonstrations regarding the establishment of rates applied to distributed generation, Grupo ICE clarifies that:

• According to Law 7593 , the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) is the only entity responsible for setting, through technical and economic analysis, distributed generation rates. The eight distribution companies in the country (ICE, CNFL, municipal companies and rural cooperatives) must abide by its provisions.

• For this reason, Grupo ICE is respectful of the ARESEP resolutions, as well as the application of the methodology and the rates that result from it.

• It is wrong to indicate that Grupo ICE opposes or discourages distributed generation. On the contrary, he is a pioneer and promoter of this modality. In 2010, a pilot plan began – promoted jointly by ICE and CNFL –, which began with an installed capacity of 5 megawatts and reached 11 megawatts at the time of its conclusion, in 2018.

• As a result of this plan, the inputs that guided the regulations ( Decree No. 39220-MINAE ), the regulations ( Law 10086 ) and the distributed generation rates in its precursor phase emerged. With this, a complementary alternative to the National Electric System (SEN) was created.

• To date, 78% of the country's distributed generators are within Grupo ICE's concession area. These total 2,828 clients, which represent 0.1% of the Corporation's total.

• In accordance with what is established by ARESEP, the current energy purchase rate per kilowatt hour from the generators distributed in the CNFL is ₡26.61 (for both peak, off-peak and night periods); while, for ICE, the kilowatt hour rate is ₡27 in months of high surplus and ₡2.7 in months of low surplus.

• Since last October, Grupo ICE recognizes – to clients who inject surpluses – an amount of ₡1.2 million of energy, retroactively.

Grupo ICE reaffirms its availability to continue contracting generators distributed in the seven provinces. Costa Rica needs to take advantage of all the country's renewable resources in a responsible, sustainable and supportive manner, just as the Corporation has done historically.