Energy suppliers association calls for removal of self-consumption barriers in Cyprus

The Association of Electricity Supply Representatives (SEPIE) in Cyprus issued a statement on November 2, 2026, urging authorities to eliminate obstacles hindering consumers from producing, storing, and utilizing their own electricity. The association emphasizes that the current limitations undermine the benefits of self-consumption for households and businesses that have invested in photovoltaic systems.

SEPIE highlights that the right to self-consumption is enshrined in the European Union Directive (EU) 2018/2001, which allows consumers to generate energy from renewable sources for their own use and manage surplus production. However, the association points out that the local power grid faces significant technical weaknesses, manifested through frequent forced curtailments of energy production from photovoltaic systems. These systemic failures prevent consumers from effectively utilizing renewable energy.

To address these issues, the association is calling for immediate interventions to modernize and stabilize the grid infrastructure. While the directive provides a clear legal framework for decentralized energy, the current operational reality in Cyprus falls short of these European standards, necessitating urgent improvements to ensure that consumer investments in green energy are not rendered ineffective.