OREANDA-NEWS. December 15, 2014. Senate of the Kazakh Parliament has considered the bill "On Amendments and Additions to the Law "On energy saving and energy efficiency" in two readings at the plenary session.

"The current law was adopted in 2012 and provided the legal basis for the successful implementation of energy efficiency programs. For today Public Register has been established in the country which includes enterprises consuming more than 1,500 tons of oil equivalent per year. More than 70 energy auditing companies have been accredited. Thus, the program is being carried out, improvement in energy intensity of efficiency is one of the key tasks of the first five-year plan. This task is completed. The President set a target to reduce energy intensity by 10 percent, this figure is overfulfilled. At the same time, there are certain problems in financing energy efficiency measures, in this regard, we have developed present bill that provides mechanism introduction of energy service companies," Vice Minister of Investment and Development Albert Rau said, submitting the bill.

According to him, the bill provides for the conclusion of contracts to perform a range of works on introduction of energy-saving technologies at the customer’s enterprise on account of attracted funds of energy service company with repayment of incurred expenses and a profit from actually achieved power consumption economy.

In addition, Vice Minister said that as a result of amendments to the bill, the need to change the name of the bill "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on energy saving" was developed in the Majilis and in the working group of Senate.

Senators have made a number of amendments in preparation for the second reading of the bill. In particular, they propose to eliminate norms establishing responsibility and control over the creation, implementation and organization of the energy management system of the Law "On energy saving and energy efficiency", in order to consolidate the principle of voluntariness. In addition, it is proposed to exclude the norms of the Administrative Code, relating to liability for violation of the requirements for manufacturing in the field of energy saving and energy efficiency, and liability for breach of duty on the creation, implementation and organization of the energy management system, due to amendments to the Law "On energy saving and energy efficiency". Senators have made 18 amendments to the bill in total.

After discussion, it was decided to send the bill, as amended, to the Majilis.