The Czech Republic and Slovakia will combine their electricity markets into one single market as of 2009 to reduce cross-border hurdles and fees while improving power distribution at times of peak usage, the Czech ministry of industry said Friday.
The industry ministers of the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on the topic Thursday, and the two sides are assembling expert teams to agree details on how the common power market will function.
Each country's electricity transmission operator will remain independent but they will enhance cooperation and better allocate transmission capacities, the Czech ministry said.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia already have a very closely integrated power grid as it was built when the two countries were the single Czechoslovak federation.
The Czech Republic, dominated by Prague-based utility CEZ AS (BAACEZ.PR), is the only country in the region to have a surplus of electricity and is a net-exporter of power, while Slovakia has recently become a net-power importer due to the decommissioning of some nuclear generation capacity.