Monitoring of Energy Legislation July 2025

See the most important legal news in the field of energy for the month of July 2025.

The Regulatory Office for Network Industries (RONI) launched public comment procedures on preliminary information regarding amendments to the price decree in the electricity and gas sectors.

A public consultation on amendments to the OKTE Operating Rules has begun and will run until 18 August 2025.

RONI also set the maximum price of gas supplied for the production and supply of heat and has also changed the method for calculating imbalance prices for settlement entities. At the same time, RONI is calling on renewable energy producers under prolongation to invest in their facilities.

OKTE is once again providing information about the testing of financial data (ISFU), which concerns distribution system operators. The Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic announces new energy subsidies.

Read more about these and many other interesting news in our monitoring for the month of July 2025, which you can also download in PDF format.

We wish you a pleasant reading!

1. WHAT HAS CHANGED?

Note: In our monitoring of energy legislation, we monitor for you the changes to the above-mentioned legal regulations, which were published in the Collection of Laws of the Slovak Republic last month. 

■    Amendment to the Act on Excise Duty on Electricity, Coal and Natural Gas and the Act on Emissions Trading

On 1 July 2025, Act No. 181/2025 Coll. was published in the Collection of Laws of the Slovak Republic, which, among other things, amends and supplements Act No. 609/2007 Coll. on Excise Duty on Electricity, Coal and Natural Gas and on Amendments to Act No. 98/2004 Coll. on Excise Duty on Mineral Oil, as amended (hereinafter referred to as „Act on Excise Duty on Electricity, Coal and Natural Gas”), as well as Act No. 414/2012 Coll. on Emissions Trading and on Amendments to Certain Acts (hereinafter referred to as the „Emissions Trading Act”).

We informed you about the amendment in the monitoring report for June 2025.

The amendment to the Act on Excise Duty on Electricity, Coal and Natural Gas entered into force on 1 July 2025, with the exception of provisions entering into force on 1 September 2025. The current wording of this act is available at this link.

The amendment to the Emissions Trading Act changes and supplements the provision of § 10 para. 4 letter a), where the word “does not exceed” is replaced by the word “exceeds”. The amendment to the Emissions Trading Act entered into force on 1 July 2025. The current wording of the Emissions Trading Act is available at this link.

2.         YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED

■    Preliminary information on amendments to the price decree in the electricity and gas sectors

On 24 July 2025, the Regulatory Office for Network Industries (hereinafter referred to as "RONI") initiated a public consultation about preliminary information regarding proposed amendments to the following RONI decrees

• No. 154/2024 Coll., establishing price regulation in the electricity sector and certain conditions for performing regulated activities in the electricity sector, as amended by Decree No. 402/2024 Coll. (“electricity price decree”) (legislative process No.: PI/2025/161);
• No. 147/2024 Coll., establishing price regulation of regulated activities in the gas sector and certain conditions for performing regulated activities in the gas sector, as amended by Decree No. 390/2024 Coll. (“gas price decree”) (legislative process No.: PI/2025/163).

The aim of the proposed electricity price decree is to amend and supplement certain provisions, in particular:
a) the method for calculating the maximum price for the supply of electricity to vulnerable household customers, introducing tiered rates for electricity supply to such customers;
b) the method for determining the price of electricity generated from renewable energy sources;
c) the method of payment to access the distribution network.

The aim of the proposed gas price decree is to amend and supplement certain provisions, in particular:
a) details on the calculation of the maximum price for the supply of gas to vulnerable gas customers, introducing tariff bands for the supply of gas to such customers;
b) supporting documents for the price proposal;
c) details determining the price and the conditions for applying the price for trader services in the supply of gas to final gas customers for heat production and supply.

The amendments will address the establishment of tariff bands for the supply of gas to vulnerable customers, as well as supplement the conditions for applying the price for trader services in the supply of gas to final customers for heat production and supply, in line with common contractual practices in the gas market.

These adjustments to price regulation in the electricity and gas sectors are necessary due to changes in the conditions on which the current decree was based, as well as the expected developments in the electricity and gas markets.

Comments and suggestions regarding the proposed amendments to the price decrees could be submitted from 24 July 2025 to 6 August 2025.

The current stage of the public consultation on the electricity price decree can be followed at this link.
The current stage of the public consultation on the gas price decree can be followed at this link.

■    Public consultation on amendments to the OKTE Operating Rules

On 4 August 2025, the organizer of the short-term electricity market (Organizátor krátkodobého trhu s elektrinou - OKTE, a.s., hereinafter referred to as "OKTE") announced on its website the launch of a public consultation cocerning the proposed amendments in relation to the OKTE Operating Rules.

The amendments to the Operating Rules are related to preparations for the 15' MTU project and further development of the short-term market. In addition, the text of the Operating Rules has been refined with adjustments resulting from practicing its application.

The proposed amendment to the OKTE Operating Rules, in change-tracking mode compared to the current Operating Rules, is available HERE.

The last day for submitting comments is 18 August 2025.
Comments and proposals, using the prescribed form, must be submitted according to the instructions published on the OKTE website HERE.

■    Ministry of Transport: New calls for procurement of energy certificates for public building passports

On 29 July 2025, the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo dopravy Slovenskej republiky, hereinafter referred to as "Ministry of Transport") published, in the Recovery Plan Information System (ISPO) under the codes 19R03 29-V01 and 19R03 29-V02, calls titled “Call No. 1 for submission of applications for funding under the mechanism for the procurement of energy certificates and public building renovation passports” and “Call No. 2 for submission of applications for funding under the mechanism for the procurement of energy certificates and public building renovation passports for buildings with a total floor area over 2,000 m².”

The call is intended for public entities and state administration bodies, particularly those managing buildings with a total floor area over 2,000 m² (e.g. schools, offices, hospitals).

The aim of the call is to mobilise public entities to secure energy certificates and building renovation passports with the financial compensation covering the costs related to procuring these documents.

Buildings managed by public entities now have an opportunity to obtain financial support for professional documentation, which is a direct prerequisite for energy renovation and the use of funds from the Recovery Plan.

Applications may be submitted from 1 September 2025. The call will close on 27 February 2026 at the latest, or earlier if the application limit is reached.

Details of Call No. 1, including the application conditions, are available HERE.
Details of Call No. 2, including the application conditions, are available HERE.

■    RONI set the maximum gas price for district heating for 2026

On 31 July 2025, RONI announced that it had set the maximum price for trader services in supplying gas intended for heat production and supply for 2026.

Set price: €45.07/MWh (price excludes distribution and infrastructure costs).

This regulated price applies exclusively to gas supplies for district heating purposes and does not apply to contracts concluded before 1 January 2025. Gas traders are legally obliged to comply with this maximum price.

The price framework is based on Decree No. 147/2024 Coll., as amended by Decree No. 390/2024 Coll.

More information is available in this article.

■    RONI clarifies electricity pricing for industrial consumers

In information published on 5 August 2025, RONI stated that the price of electricity for Slovak industry is significantly influenced by additional charges added to the commodity component. According to RONI, these costs are also the result of EU’s uncoordinated support for renewable energy sources (RES).

RONI points out that the price of electricity for Slovak industry is not regulated and consists of two parts:
(i) an unregulated commodity component, which companies procure independently on the market,
(ii) regulated charges, which RONI sets in accordance with applicable legislation.

The additional charges are “stacked” onto the commodity component of the price. However, RONI attributes this problem mainly to the uncoordinated development of RES at the EU level.

The Regulatory Office seeks to minimise these costs so as not to reduce the competitiveness of Slovak industry. At the same time, RONI explains how it is reducing the regulated charges included in the price of electricity for industrial consumers.

It also supports the development of nuclear energy as an emission-free alternative that can be utilized at the point of consumption. RONI further notes that not all components of the final price are set by them – for example, the levy to the National Nuclear Fund, excise duty, and VAT are administered by other state institutions and significantly affect the final electricity price.

More information is available in this article.

■    RONI: Imbalance will no longer be a business – electricity prices to fall

In information released on 15 and 25 July 2025, RONI announced that from 1 September 2025 on, the method for calculating imbalance prices for settlement entities will change – the price multiplier will be adjusted from 1.5 to 1.1. According to RONI, this should significantly reduce speculative trading within the market.

RONI adopted the measure after consultations with The Slovak Electricity Transmission System (Slovenská elektrizačná prenosová sústava, a.s., hereinafter referred to as "SEPS") and OKTE to design a system that supports market stability and eliminates speculative behaviour.

Chairman Jozef Holjenčík stressed that the office aims to target only entities that threaten grid security, without negatively affecting market participants who generate value.

RONI expects the result to be low imbalance payments, lower final electricity price and a benefit for the state budget.

More about RONI’s articles can be found HERE and HERE.

■    RONI: Time is running out to invest funds from prolongation

On 17 June 2025, RONI issued a notice to electricity producers from renewable energy sources (RES), especially those who in 2022 entered into a prolongation of support with a reduced electricity price, that the deadline for investing the allocated funds is approaching.

These funds must be used for essential repairs or technological modifications, in line with the price decision, no later than 31 December 2026.

Chairman Jozef Holjenčík urges producers to act in accordance with the prolongation conditions. Otherwise, the office will proceed with thorough inspections and sanctions. If any misuse or failure to fully invest the amount is found, RONI may order the repayment of the surcharge, which would subsequently affect the electricity price for consumers.

The office is also preparing a new methodological guideline for calculating surcharge reductions – only actually invested and economically justified costs will be considered, not projected costs as in previous price decisions.

RONI’s full article is available HERE.

■    RONI: Circuit Breaker Reform Successful — Bringing First Results

In a report dated July 15 2025, RONI presented the results of the circuit breaker reform. Thanks to optimization, 45 MW of unused line capacity has been freed up, allowing approximately 3,000 households with standard consumption to connect. According to RONI, the savings from avoiding the construction of new lines amount to millions of euros.

Since July 1 2025, the new method for calculating the fixed component of the distribution fee has been fully implemented across all regions. The changes have been positively received by the public, with no significant consumer complaints.

Consumers mostly inquire about the process of replacing circuit breakers and recalculating costs while maintaining the existing amperage value. Distribution companies confirm that the price lists and reasons for the changes are generally accepted by the public.

More about the RONI article can be found HERE.

■    RONI Calls for Fair Conditions in Russian Gas Import Ban

On July 14 2025, RONI published a statement criticizing the EU proposal for a complete ban on Russian gas imports by 2027 and submitted key comments.

The first major comment concerns the need to expand the impact analysis by including the economic effects on transport fees across the entire EU. RONI proposes supplementing the proposal with a comprehensive comparison of costs before and after the cessation of Russian gas imports.

The second key comment relates to the possibility of granting an exemption to a member state if the import ban demonstrably causes significant economic harm. RONI recommends introducing a mechanism that would allow for exemptions or transitional periods when applying the regulation.

According to RONI, the measure could seriously threaten the Slovak economy and consumers. Therefore, it calls for a fair transition period, thorough economic analyses, and the possibility of exemptions for countries heavily dependent on Russian gas.

More about the RONI article can be found HERE.

■    SIEA: Beware of Mistakes When Claiming Vouchers in the Green Homes Project

SIEA warns that up to 90% of voucher reimbursement requests contain errors causing significant delays. The Green Homes and Green Solidarity projects are exceptional in that they allow households to use vouchers for device installations with minimal administrative burden. All documents are submitted to SIEA by the contractor after installation is completed.

The most common issues include incorrect property information, incomplete documentation, faulty invoices, and insufficient photos of installations.

Currently, €47 million is reserved for vouchers in the Green Homes project, which represents the highest number of installations so far. Many contractors are still preparing or are currently carrying out these installations. It is important that they follow current general conditions of the project. A manual with recommendations on how to avoid the most frequent mistakes and what to watch out for when submitting voucher reimbursement requests is available in the Contractors’ section under Documents and Guidance.

We recommend thoroughly studying the available manuals and guidelines in the Contractors’ section on the SIEA website.

You can view the list of the most common mistakes and SIEA’s recommendations HERE.

■    Ministry of Economy presents energy assistance scenarios for 2026

On August 5 2025, the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo hospodárstva Slovenskej republiky, hereinafter referred to as „Ministry of Economy“) presented several options of targeted systemic energy assistance for 2026. The final decision on the specific form of the system will be made by the Slovak government.

The Ministry of Economy informs that regulated prices for electricity, gas, and heat are guaranteed for Slovak households until the end of 2025. To provide further assistance in 2026, MH SR collected and linked data from more than 223 databases—including energy distributors, the land registry, social insurance, health insurers, and the Financial Administration. This initiative required identifying “energy households” through verified addresses—over 1.1 million apartments were connected to the central register.

The Ministry of Economy states that the assistance is intended to be automatic, fast, and without the need for official visits.

The European Commission has pledged support to Slovakia in finding ways to use unused EU funds allocated to Slovakia—for diversification projects or energy assistance. Representatives of the European Commission also promised the possibility of accelerated evaluation of any proposed state aid schemes.

You can read more about this information in this article.

■    Ministry of Economy: New Financing for Companies and Innovation

On July 7 2025, the Ministry of Economy announced the launch of a new multi-component financial instrument in cooperation with Slovak Investment Holding (SIH) and the National Development Fund III. This instrument is part of the 2021–2027 EU funds and the Recovery Plan. It is primarily aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises but is also available to larger companies and research organizations.

Companies can obtain preferential loans up to €2.8 million, with guarantees and grants covering up to 25% of the borrowed amount. Financing is available through seven banks and supports innovation, digitalization, sustainability and research. The funding is available until September 30 2029 (Slovakia Program) or March 31 2026 (Recovery and Resilience Plan).

Target areas of support include: (i) Digitalization and automation of processes, (ii) Support for the competitiveness of companies and regions, (iii) Transition to a circular economy,
(iv) Adaptation to climate neutrality, (v) Research and development in digital and automation fields.

You can read more about the financing options in this article.

■    Ministry of Environment: Slovakia Becomes First Country in Europe to Introduce Gigawatt Energy Storage

On July 25 2025, The Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo životného prostredia Slovenskej republiky, hereinafter referred to as "Ministry of Environment")  announced that through the company Vodohospodárska výstavba š.p., it signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Westinghouse Electric Company. The project plans the construction of a gigawatt-scale long-term energy storage system that will store surplus electricity from hydroelectric power plants, significantly strengthening the stability of electricity supply for Slovakia and the broader European context.

The project uses pumped thermal storage technology with a lifespan of up to 60 years and no limitation on cyclical capacity. This technology will help stabilize the energy grid, increase waterreusability, and optimize the operation of hydroelectric plants (for example on the Danube, Váh, and Orava rivers).

Engineering and project documentation will be prepared within 12 months, with system commissioning planned by 2030. Once operational, the system could be utilized by local suppliers and inspire similar projects in other European countries or globally.

The project’s goal is to ensure a stable, safe, and efficient supply of electricity, which is also expected to attract strategic investments in artificial intelligence and high-tech industries in Slovakia.

More information is available in the original article HERE.

■    OKTE: Registration Open for a New Round of International Testing of the 15’MTU Project

On July 14 2025, OKTE announced the opportunity to participate in a new round of international testing for the implementation of the 15-minute time interval (15’MTU) project on the SDAC market (Single Day-Ahead Coupling). The testing will take place from September 8 to September 11, 2025.
The project is planned to be launched on September 30 2025. The purpose of the testing phase is to allow market participants to test their systems and processes in an environment simulating real operating conditions with the 15-minute time interval.
Registration for the testing is required and there are no limits on the number of participants or registration deadlines

More detailed information from OKTE is available HERE.

■    OKTE Provides Further Information on Financial Data Testing (ISFU)

On July 17 and July 25 2025, OKTE published additional announcements regarding the testing of financial data, specifically:

(i) On the website Certificates | Billing Data | OKTE, a.s., information was posted about the certificates required for logging into ISFU and for the automatic exchange of data with ISFU.
(ii) It was reminded that completed forms must be submitted before the testing begins.

The testing concerns distribution system operators (PRDS, MDS), electricity suppliers, and IS suppliers for these market participants.
The testing period starts on August 15 2025, and will conclude on December 12 2025.

OKTE announcements are available HERE and HERE.

■    OKTE: Sending Additional Sharing Information for Suppliers

On July 17 2025, OKTE announced that starting from July 16 2025, email messages DOD_5, DOD_7, and DOD_9 are being sent, containing information about sharing groups for suppliers to improve sharing prediction.

These messages can be used to prepare systems for their paired messages DOD_6, DOD_8, and DOD_10, which provide greater time variability of the obtained data and will be accessible via API within the next month.

More detailed information about these messages can be found in the publication TŠVD EDC version 1.42 - effective from September 5, 2025.
OKTE announcement is available HERE.

■    OKTE: Evaluation of Public Consultation on Technical Specification of External Interfaces System v1.21

On July 18 2025, OKTE announced that from July 2 until July 11 2025, a public consultation was held regarding planned changes to the Technical Specification of External Interfaces for market participants within the Market Operator’s Information System XMtrade®/ISOT v1.21 (TŠVD).
The changes involved the addition of new products for the intraday continuous market and order modifications. No market participants took part in the consultation within the deadline.
OKTE also announces that the Technical Specification of External Interfaces system v1.21 has been duly published HERE.

This version of TŠVD will come into effect on September 30 2025, along with the launch of the 15 MTU project and the implementation of the extension of external interfaces for VDT to support ICEBERG and BASKET orders, including order data modification functionality.
The OKTE announcement is available HERE.

■    OKTE launched the 22nd auction of electricity origin guarantees

On July 18 2025, OKTE announced the launch of the twenty-second electronic auction for electricity guarantee of origin from renewable energy sources and of electricity guarantee of origin produced by highly efficient combined production.

The auction took place on August 1 2025, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

The guarantees of origin offered in the auction are tied to electricity produced at facilities that, during the production period, received support in the form of a subsidy or supplement pursuant to § 8b paragraph 3 of Act No. 309/2009 Coll. on support of renewable energy sources.

Information about the number and types of guarantees of origin offered in the auction, as well as details about the auction process, is available on the website HERE.

■    SEPS announces new decision from RONI

On August 4 2025, SEPS published information about the issuance of RONI decision no. 0005/2025/E-EÚ, which approves the definition and use of special products according to Article 26(1) of Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2195 for the period from January 1 2026 to December 31 2027.

You can read the SEPS information at this link.

■    SEPS released materials from the webinar

On July 18 2025, SEPS published materials from the webinar focused on the evaluation of the public consultation for the document “Strategy for ensuring a sufficient volume of ancillary services for 2026.”
The webinar took place on Thursday July 17 2025, at 1:00 PM. The program included a presentation of the accompanying analytical material for the Strategy prepared for SEPS by the company EUROENERGY.
These materials are available at this link.

■    SEPS to renovate power line from Varín to Czech border

On July 14 2025, SEPS announced plans to modernize the existing 400 kV power line running from the Varín Electrical Station (ESt) to the state border with the Czech Republic.

The current line has been in operation since 1959 and is now nearing the end of its technical lifespan, making a complete overhaul—including replacement of pylons and foundations—necessary.

The upgrade will extend the line’s technical lifespan and increase its transmission capacity. The total length of the line is over 35 km. The renovation, planned in two phases between 2027 and 2028, includes replacing 104 original Portal-type pylons with 114 new “Mačka” (Cat) type pylons, which will also reduce the protected corridor width around the line.

More details are available at this link.

■    SEPS announces update of technical conditions

On July 1 2025, the Board of Directors of SEPS approved of changes to several documents within its technical conditions.

The updated SEPS technical conditions documents are available HERE.

The changes affect documents A, C, D, F, and O, and include additions of new terminology such as the term “system power plant,” criteria for frequency measurement, and criteria for evaluating connection requests. Additionally, further formal and technical adjustments were made, including the removal of transitional provisions related to connection to the MARI and PICASSO platforms.

We also informed you about these changes in our monitoring for the month of June 2025.

More details can be found at this link.

■    SEPS announces public consultation to the amendment of its operational rules

On July 1 2025, SEPS informed on its website that a public consultation regarding changes to the Transmission System Operator’s (TSO) operational rules took place from July 2 to July 16 2025 (including).

SEPS states that all information and materials related to the public consultation are published HERE.

The consultation focused mainly on changes needed in responce to the altered behaviour of providers of ancillary services (PpS) and renewable energy sources (RE) following SEPS’s integration into the PICASSO and MARI platforms by the end of 2024.
This information was also shared in our monitoring for the month of June 2025.

More details are available at this link.

■    SEPS informs about public consultation on changes to Document B of technical conditions

On July 1 2025, SEPS announced on its website that a public consultation on proposed changes to Document B of the technical conditions is taking place from July 2 to July 16 2025.

The document is available HERE.

SEPS stated that the consultation concerns updates to Document B on access and connection technical conditions and rules for operating the transmission system. These changes stem from the need to update practices and to incorporate proposals from the study titled “Impact of LER-type battery devices on providing ancillary services aFRR and mFRR for SEPS” into the technical conditions.

This consultation was also mentioned in our monitoring for the month of June 2025.

More information on the changes can be found at this link.

■    Change of the Operating Rules of SSD

RONI published on its website a decision approving of new operating rules for the operator Stredoslovenská distribučná, a.s. (hereinafter referred to as “SSD”). This is RONI decision no. 0007/2025/E-PP dated June 23 2025, which is available HERE.

The reason behind the change was the amendment to the Electricity Market Rules that came into effect on January 1 2025.

The company SSD also informed about the new operating rules on its website.

The new operating rules of SSD have been valid since July 9 2025. 

■    ZSE launches the Electricity Sharing Management service

The company Energetika Slovensko, a.s. (E.SK), under its brand ZSE, introduced a new service called Electricity Sharing Management starting July 1 2025. This service enables efficient use of surplus self-generated photovoltaic electricity.

If a household or business cannot use all the solar electricity produced in real time, it can instantly share the excess with selected group members — family, neighbours, or acquaintances. Each kilowatt-hour produced thus finds use where it makes the most sense. Further surpluses are either stored in a Virtual Battery or sold at the market price, depending on what is more advantageous for the customer.

The electricity sharing is technically facilitated by OKTE through the Energy Data Center (EDC).

The service is intended for households and companies with photovoltaic systems that generate surplus electricity; for consumption sites wishing to benefit from sharing with other producers; for business operations with higher installed capacity; and for customers ready to flexibly adjust consumption according to available energy. The only condition is that all entities involved in the sharing group must have an installed smart metering system (IMS).

More information about this service and its conditions can be found at this link.

You can download the monitoring for the month of July 2025 in PDF format here.

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Legal notice

The information provided to the subscriber as part of the monitoring of energy legislation is not a source of legally binding legislation, as only the collection of laws of the Slovak Republic contains the legally binding wording of the legislation in terms of the legal code of the Slovak Republic. The information provided to the subscriber is only informative and does not replace legal service pursuant to the Act no. 586/2003 Coll. on advocacy. The law firm POLÁČEK & PARTNERS s.r.o. is not responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the information provided in the energy legislation monitoring. In case of questions regarding the information provided to the subscriber, the subscriber can ask the law firm POLÁČEK & PARTNERS s.r.o. for the provision of legal services for this purpose.