With the amendments introduced by the National Assembly, the Organic Law on Energy Competitiveness entered into force, after President Daniel Noboa gave no objections, sanctioned the law and sent it to the Official Register.

The law known as No More Blackouts was approved by the Assembly on the night of January 10, and a few hours later it was published in the Official Register – second supplement number 475 of January 11, 2024.

Its goal is to increase the supply of electricity production by promoting investment in the electricity sector, but there are other points, such as the creation of the National Investment Fund for Energy Efficiency, which implies a contribution of 1% of the value of the registration fee for owners of private vehicles with internal combustion engines (gasoline, diesel ). Additionally: 100% interest forgiveness on electricity debts and reforms to other tax and public enterprise laws to make the abolition of the Public Enterprise Coordinating Company (EMCO) sustainable.

To whom interest will not be calculated, and to whom the principal amount of the debt will not be calculated

A contribution of 1% of the vehicle registration value

Calculation of the price of electricity

Self-supply of end consumers

Delegation to a private company with public selection processes

The Law on Public Electric Power Service has been reformed: in order to harmonize with the sectoral planning framed in the Master Electrification Plan, the state can delegate mixed companies in which it has a majority share and – exceptionally – private capital companies, foreign state-owned companies and popular and solidarity economy companies to participate in activities of public electric power service and public lighting service, through a public selection procedure, in any of the following cases:

The state can also delegate to private capital companies, foreign state companies and national and solidarity economy companies the development of projects that use non-conventional renewable energies that are not included in the Electric Power Master Plan.

The activity of electricity transmission at the national level will be carried out by the state through the corresponding public company, “to be able to authorize mixed companies in which the state has a majority share and, exceptionally, the participation of a private company, a foreign state company and a national and solidarity economy for new transmission projects through concession, on that the provisions of this law and its regulations will be applied.”

The Ministry of Energy can authorize a producer, self-producer, distributor, large consumer or end user to build a transmission network for their needs at their own expense.

In the case of a concession, the infrastructure implemented in these projects will be returned to the state without any costs at the end of the contract.