The preliminary investigation has been underway "for several months," said Amelia Torres, spokeswoman for EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, confirming reports in the Belgian newspapers De Tijd and L'Echo.

Electrabel, a unit of French utility group GDF Suez, is the leading electricity provider in Belgium.

Torres did not confirm reports that the EU's executive branch -- which enforces competition policy across the 27-nation bloc -- acted in response to complaints from green energy providers Electrawinds and Eneco.

According to L'Echo, the two enterprises contend that a October 2009 agreement between the Belgian government and GDF Suez to extend the working life of Belgium's three oldest nuclear power plants by 10 years reinforced Electrabel's dominant position in the Belgian energy market.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links

National Clean Fuels Angling To Be Major Player In G-20 Carbon Market New System To Reduce Heating Costs In Cold Climates Hydro, Wave, And Tidal Power Market Outlook Bright EU investigating Electrabel over dominant position Obama loses drilling moratorium appeal A few patches of tar empty Biloxi's white sand beaches Oil companies reeling from drilling moratorium uncertainty BP 'pleased' with progress of oil fix mission Study Shows Stability And Utility Of Floating Wind Turbines Leading French Wind Farm Developer Says Yes To Triton Floating ocean wind turbines proposed China to dominate wind power Pennsylvania Invests 18 Million Dollars To Support Alternative Energy Projects Understanding Solar PV Cost And Financing Estimators Abound Solar Receieves Conditional Commitment For Loan Guarantee By US DoE Third In Series Of Italian Solar Power Plants Now Operational Nuclear Power Market Outlook For Developing Countries Canadian medical reactor gets nod to restart Areva negotiating two more EPR reactors with China: CEO 'Atomic Anne' Lauvergeon stays in power at Areva: source Philippines gets funding for green energy New Biofuels Processing Method For Mobile Facilities Energy Crops Growing On Seawater New Ethanol Fact Book Highlights Benefits Of U.S. Ethanol Program China Sends Research Satellite Into Space China eyes Argentina for space antenna Seven More For Shenzhou China Signs Up First Female Astronauts Researchers Calculate The Cost Of Co2 Emissions, Call For Carbon Tax Research Helps Predict Future Impact Of Climate Change British climate change scientists cleared of dishonesty China to host new round of climate talks in October: report