Tariffs service to mull rolling five-year RAB regulation for grid co
MOSCOW. April 7 (Interfax) - The Russian Federal Tariffs Service (FTS) will consider introducing a rolling five-year RAB tariff regulation period for the Federal Grid Company (FGC) , the FTS chief, Sergei Novikov, told reporters.
The RAB regulation period could be extended by a year on an annual basis, Novikov said.
Novikov said the FGC itself asked for the rolling five-year regulatory period. "This is a reasonable proposal in our view," he said.
But he said a seven-year RAB period was not yet under discussion.
The FTS only started to discuss the rolling five-year period this week, he said.
Dmitry Troshenkov, the FGC first deputy chief, told Interfax the rolling regulatory period suited the company as it had a rolling investment program. Each year, the FGC adjusts its five-year investment program, adding a year but preserving the five-year investment planning period.
"Now we're in the next cycle of the investment program," he said. The FGC is approving an investment program for 2011-2015. Troshenko said a sharp jump in investment was not envisaged in 2015, and that a fifth of the current five-year plan might be added. The 2010-2014 program is 952.4 billion rubles.
FTS chief Novikov also said the service would soon be reviewing RAB tariffs for around 30 Russian regions. He said decisions would be reached after the middle of April.