The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has today announced increased liberalisation of the electricity market.
From February 19 2004, Dermot Ahern said that 56% of the market will be open to competition - that's an increase of 16%. He added that in two years time, the market will be fully open to competition.
The latest move by the Minister will allow an additional 12,000 industrial and commercial customers to source their electricity from independent electricity suppliers, licensed by the Commission for Energy Regulation.
All large and many medium-sized businesses are eligible to contract for their electricity supplies from licensed suppliers, other than the ECB at present. Customers can also choose to have their electricity supplied from any licensed green supplier.
The first steps in liberalising the electricity market started in February 2000. The Minister said this latest measure confirms the Government's commitment to full competition by February 2005.
He said it would also act as an incentive to new players to enter the generation and supply market.
