Tariff shield: the government will have to pay an additional 6 billion euros

The bill is becoming more and more difficult for the government. The Senate approved on Friday an amendment to the draft 2023 budget that increases the planned cost of energy tariff shields by six billion euros to cover additional buildings, among others, but which Bersi said would be offset. Senators complained about the belated introduction of this amendment as part of an environmental appropriation review. “This is unacceptable,” complained the elected LR, Jean-Francois Husson. “We are doomed to trust you,” added speaker Christine Lavard of the same party.

Of the six billion, two are for “collective housing developments” not yet affected by the shield, i.e. “Ehpads, autonomous residences, gendarmerie barracks, dispersed housing for collective buildings”, clarifies the text of the amendment adopted by a show of hands. . They must also respond to “the extension of the electricity tariff shield to be extended by decree to all collective housing for heating common areas.”

Gap to fill the renewable energy sector

The other part of the extension, i.e. three billion euros, is intended to fill the deficit in the renewable energy sector after the “early termination of contracts at the initiative of producers from the summer of 2022 and an unknown at the time of submission” of the draft State Budget for 2023. For many years the state supported these companies requiring large investments, but today some manufacturers prefer to withdraw and terminate contracts for purchases at fixed prices guaranteed by the state.

At present, with market prices rising, some choose to sell their products at the best price directly and exit the system rather than return the money to the state, which will cost the authorities three billion euros. “These breaches of contract, however, make these generators liable to contribute to the infra-marginal rent for electricity, allowing the state to partially recover the corresponding amounts in the form of tax revenues,” the amendment clarifies.

This amendment “increases the net budgetary cost of the shields by 6 billion euros, which was 15 billion euros so far,” the Ministry of Energy Transition specified. Asked by AFP, Bersi said that these additional costs would be “offset by a revaluation towards an increase in the contribution to the electrician’s excess rent, i.e. from 7 billion to 11 billion.” This fee applies to electricity producers whose production costs are significantly below current market prices.