Director of the Open Cabildo in UTE criticized a private party that disputes clients with the entity

The decision means that these customers will be able to have a contract in which they will pay a cheaper price than the current one for the energy they consume, in case of accepting the wholesale sales conditions set by the entity. Y It also aims to retain them in a market where competition from new players with energy purchase contracts between consumers and private generators is beginning to timidly emerge.

Last week the weekly Search reported that the companies Montevideo Refrescos (Coca-Cola) and Central Lanera Uruguaya, which are two large clients of UTE, closed contracts with a photovoltaic park being built in Salto to buy energy. The investment of US$ 14 million —began to be developed in 2021— to produce some 14 MW of energy is from the multinational Atlántica Yield, and its construction is in charge of the firm Ventus.

The representative of Cabildo Abierto in the Board of Directors of the entity, Enrique Pées Boz He stated this Monday that “UTE has energy left over with the PPA contracts (for Power Purchase Agreement) that it has and will have to pay for 20 more years at US$ 500 million annually.”

“The Ventus plant is to compete with UTE and its legacy backpack from 2010-2018. Today without a backpack, Ventus can install itself and offer photovoltaic energy at US$30, the same amount that UTE will have to continue paying at US$129 for the next 20 years”, said.

“Good business for Salto…, those who cannot emigrate from the regulated system will pay it in the UTE rates: families and SMEs. More of the same, ”she wrote in a Twitter message that took as a reference a television report on investment in the department of the north coast.

“A long-term strategy: first, the private agents, protected by the change in the electricity matrix, during the years 2010-2018 signed contracts with UTE that make their rates more expensive.s, today the most expensive in the region. Now, faced with the disastrous results for families and companies, they come back and take advantage of those expensive rates that they generated, to get a few large consumers out of UTE who would go on to receive energy from Ventus,” said Pées Boz.

In another message broadcast by Whatsapp, Pées Boz pointed out that “now the Ventus take advantage of the most expensive rates in the region that they strategically created by raising entry barriers and taking advantage of their lobbies institutionalized in ADME (Administration of the Electricity Market), a public body of private law where UTE has a single representative”.

“Meanwhile, private generators and large consumers, those who now negotiate with Ventus, have two seats in five… what’s up! … Those who manage the electricity market with more expensive rates and charges of US$500 million per year grant two seats to private companies and one to UTE. Situations and structures that the State must correct, except for those who think like (Javier) Milei and point to save yourself who can, “said the representative of Cabildo Open in UTE.