In his last interview, the ex-head of NEC Ukrenergo Vladimir Kudrytsky stated an obvious but important thing:
It can be stated that now there is only one center of responsibility in the energy sector. This is the Ministry of Energy.
What do you mean?
Now Energy Minister German Galushchenko formally or conceptually controls almost all key government agencies and enterprises in the electricity sector.
Including those that are declared by law as independent.
An interesting observation from conversations with participants in the energy sector: most of the minister’s subordinates are involved in pre-trial investigations.
Even if at some point they wanted to make a decision according to their own understanding, and not according to the instructions sent down the vertical by the OP - the Ministry of Energy, they would immediately receive suspicion.
Knowing this, people with their own strategic vision do not want to make efforts to occupy key positions in the energy sector. You will still do what they say.
Loyalty is more important than competence.
What does the Ministry of Energy control?
Energy regulator. Since the beginning of August, the National Energy Regulatory Commission (NEREKU) has been headed by Yuriy Vlasenko, who was previously deputy minister.
Of the 6 existing members of NEURC, four are guided by the Ministry of Energy.
NEURC is the market rules, tariffs for energy companies and consumers.
The largest generating company is Energoatom, where Galushchenko worked before his appointment as minister.
The company provides more than half of the electricity consumption in the country.
In 2023, it had revenue of UAH 150 billion. He will potentially have a large profit and is looking for how to spend it on the construction of new nuclear power plant units.
There is also an idea to transfer electricity suppliers for the population to Energoatom in those areas where they belong to the state.
State Nuclear Regulation Inspectorate (SINR), which issues permits for the implementation of Energoatom projects.
It is headed by Oleg Korikov, to whom the minister obscenely told him what to do at a meeting of the relevant Rada committee in June.
It is convenient when both the project operator and the controller are subordinate to one center.
State Exchange Market operator that administers the most important segments of the electricity market - DAM and VSR.
The company is headed by Alexander Gavva, a former adviser to the minister and a former subordinate of Yuri Vlasenko.
The administrator of payments under the “green” tariff is Guaranteed Buyer. It is headed by Artem Nekrasov.
In August 2023, when an investigation was published about the payment of a feed-in tariff to the stations of Rostislav Shurma’s brother, which were under occupation, Nekrasov used the media to cover up the image of the deputy chairman of the OP.
State Inspectorate for Energy Supervision (Gosenergonadzor). Until recently, it was headed by Ruslan Slobodyan, who at the end of July was elected a member of NEURC in the “ministerial” pool.
State coal trader Ukrugol. The company buys coal from state mines for supply to thermal power plants and thermal power plants. Ideally, state-owned ones.
Since the beginning of the invasion, all its leaders have been involved in pre-trial investigations, and some are already suspected.
The state trader of electricity is the Energy Company of Ukraine (EKU).
It is headed by ex-manager of DTEK Vitaly Butenko, who before the war participated in a murky scheme for importing electricity from Belarus.
Ukrainian Distribution Networks (URS) is a state holding that collects state stakes in oblenergos.
The company is headed by Artem Martinyuk. Its shares are 100% owned by the Ministry of Energy.
Thus, the Ministry of Energy produces, transports, supplies, and sells electricity. For all this he creates rules and monitors all this.
Sooner or later, the consumer of electricity - both industry and the population - will pay for all this monopolization of solutions.
