Minister: Inflated prices for solar power could cost taxpayers CZK 1 billion

A badly set up state system supporting solar energy could end up costing Czech tax payers up to CZK 1 billion, the environment minister, Tomáš Chalupa, said on a TV debate programme on Sunday. The Energy Regulatory Office said on Monday that an internal audit had revealed that some of its officials had acted illegally in setting inflated purchase prices for solar power in the 2005–2011 period. The regulator said excessive charges levied under the scheme could total tens of billions of crowns and filed criminal charges in relation to the matter. Minister Chalupa blamed the situation on deputies who approved the system in 2005 and subsequent governments. He also said that solar power producers could go bankrupt and leave fields of panels for the local authorities to clean up.