Regulations to the Organic Law of Energy Competitiveness

By Presidential Decree No. 176 of February 23, 2024, the President issued the Regulations to the Organic Law of Energy Competitiveness (“RLOCE”), set to take effect upon publication in the Official Registry.

The RLOCE amends the General Regulations to the Organic Law of the Public Electricity Service (“RGLOSPEE”), the General Regulations to the Organic Law of Energy Efficiency (“RGLOEE”), the Regulations to the Organic Environmental Code (“RCOAM”) and the Regulations for the application of the Internal Tax Regime Law (“RLRTI”).

Below, we summarize the most important energy and tax matters:

Electricity sector

1.    Energy storage systems, such as green hydrogen and thermal storage, will be incorporated into the electricity sector’s expansion planning.
2.    Natural or synthetic gases will be considered within the Electricity Master Plan (“PME”).
3.    The Ministry of Energy may delegate to foreign private or state-owned companies the participation in sector activities or generation projects foreseen in the PME through public selection processes (“PPS”). Under this scheme, non-conventional renewable energy generation projects will have preferential dispatch conditions.
4.    The Ministry of Energy may directly delegate the execution of electricity generation projects based on urban waste, with preferential dispatch and price conditions. The Ministry of Energy shall regulate the procedure for this delegation.
5.    The Ministry of Energy may directly delegate the execution of generation projects with non-conventional renewable energies not foreseen in the PME and submitted by private or foreign state-owned companies under the following conditions:
a.    If the project is up to 10MW of nominal capacity, its execution may be delegated if it does not affect the generation projects foreseen in the PME.
b.    If the project has more than 10MW of nominal capacity, the authority must determine if it is of public interest and does not affect the generation projects foreseen in the PME: (i) if it meets both conditions, a PPS will be called for its concession and the proponent may participate with bonuses in the qualification of its economic offer; and (ii) if it is not of public interest and does not affect other projects, the proponent may be enabled to develop the project at its own risk.
6.    The Ministry of Energy will have two months to qualify whether or not the project submitted by private or foreign state-owned companies is of public interest, based on three criteria: (i) whether the initiative is required to satisfy the public interest; (ii) the degree of contribution to the fulfillment of the objectives of the electricity sector; and (iii) the degree of benefit to the State and/or the consumers of the electricity sector.
7.    Until February 23, 2025, distribution tolls will be waived for regulated and non-regulated consumers with distributed generation systems for self-supply. Only regulated consumer systems can inject electric energy into the distribution network.
8.    Distribution companies or authorized entities may provide electric vehicle charging services, with tariffs established by the Agency for Regulation and Control of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources (“ARC”).
9.    The ARC is delegated the authority to exercise the competence of regularization, control, and environmental monitoring of projects, works, or activities in the electric sector, as well as the power to sanction non-compliance. For this purpose, the ARC must obtain the respective environmental accreditation.
10.    All environmental regularization procedures initiated with the Ministry of Energy before the ARC’s environmental accreditation must be finalized by February 23, 2027.
11.    Within 30 days of the RLOCE’s publication in the Official Registry:
a.    The ARC must notify the Ministry of Energy regarding ongoing generation and transmission projects with at least 50% progress. This information will enable the Ministry to assess whether these projects should be deemed of national interest, prompting necessary actions for their completion.
b.    The National Electricity Operator must notify the Ministry of Energy of any generation plants requiring maintenance and their availability percentage over time. This information will enable the Ministry to determine which plants should be declared as national interest to enter into operation or determine their retirement and/or replacement plan.
12.    Until August 21, 2024, the ARC must update or issue new regulations for the electricity sector, with current regulations remaining applicable where not in conflict with the Organic Law of the Electric Energy Public Service and the RLOCE.

Energy Efficiency

1.    Autonomous Decentralized Governments should prioritize generating electric energy using the organic fraction of solid waste (biomass) as raw material without limiting the use of the inorganic fraction for the same purpose.
2.    Large energy consumers in commercial, industrial, and public activities will implement the Ecuadorian Energy Management Standard (NTE-INEN-ISO: 5001) in their operations. As of 2026, this implementation shall be carried out with the support of an energy service provider registered in the Catalog of Energy Service Providers.
3.    The National Energy Efficiency Investment Fund will be financed, in part, with the contribution of private internal combustion engine vehicles. This contribution will be 1% of the total value of the vehicle registration without considering fines and surcharges will be considered.
4.    The ARC shall introduce preferential tariffs in the tariff schedule for public electric energy and general public lighting services, aimed at reducing energy consumption starting in 2025.

Tax

1.    Certification from the competent environmental authority must be obtained to apply an additional 100% depreciation for machinery intended to implement unconventional renewable energy generation systems.
2.    The benefit of generating a net increase in employment for young people and individuals who have served a custodial sentence may only be applied for 12 months.
3.    To deduct expenses for constructing new networks to supply electric energy to consumers isolated from the distribution network, authorization from the competent authority for such construction is required.
4.    For calculating individual income tax, expenses will be considered family burdens when the taxpayer covers practically all their costs. This status will continue even if the taxpayer earns taxable income not exceeding a unified basic salary.
5.    To apply for applicable tax benefits, electric vehicles shall be understood as those solely propelled by electric energy sources, with battery charging exclusively using this source and producing zero direct polluting emissions.
6.    Previously, it had been established that special taxpayers and withholding agents must file their tax returns by the 11th day of each month. The RLOCE clarifies that this obligation applies specifically to special taxpayers.