The Law on Energy passed by the Parliament of Montenegro on April 22, 2010 defined that the Government of Montenegro establishes the Electricity Market Operator. To this end, the Decision was passed December 16, 2010 for the establishment of the limited liability company “Montenegrin electricity market operator”, which represents a new legal, energy entity responsible for organizing and managing the electricity market in Montenegro. LLC “Montenegrin Electricity Market Operator” was registered with the Commercial Court of Montenegro on July 29, 2011 and on December 23, 2011, the Energy Regulatory Agency issued a license to the market operator for the activity of Electricity Market Operator.

COTEE started the development of trial timetables on August 1, 2013. After two months of trial work, on October 1, 2013, the Montenegrin operator of the electricity market began the regular preparation of timetables and thereby assumed the management of the electricity market in Montenegro, using software (application) that ensured the integral synchronization of the information system of the operators of daily timetables of work programs (train schedules) with hourly resolution. At the same time, prerequisites were created for the establishment of a balancing system in the electric power system of Montenegro.

According to legislation, the market operator is obliged to buy all electricity from Feed in Tariff (FiT) and, from 2021, is an issuing body for Guarantees of origin (GOs) – green certificates in Montenegro, as well as a member of the Association of issuing Bodies (AIB), and part of the regional system of GOs organized by Energy Community Secretariat. The market operator is also a balancing responsible party for renewable energy sources (RES) which are in FiT.

Objectives:

• Provide streamlined access to the electricity market for all participants by drafting and applying quality by-laws and auxiliary rules under the jurisdiction of the Market Operator and through permanent advisory assistance,
• Cooperate with all participants in the electricity market and responsible energy entities to encourage production from renewable energy sources and high-efficiency cogeneration in accordance with legal provisions,
• Provide of the necessary infrastructure for the performance of the licensed activity,
• Prepare and regularly update all acts (rules, instructions, contracts, etc.) necessary for the smooth functioning of the market as well as the information system, which is an essential prerequisite for the fulfillment of the obligations established by the Law, the Market Rules and the license of the Market Operator.