---
title: "\"Remove Licenses and Lift Price Caps\": NOVA Co-Owner Demands Transition of Ukrainian Energy Sector to Market Model"
description: "NOVA co-owner Volodymyr Popereshnyuk stated that Ukraine's energy sector should transition to a market model without price caps and licensing. Experts link price caps to curbing imports from Europe."
date: 2026-11-14T15:13:59.692Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/poperehnyuk-energy-market-without-price-caps
tags: [ukraine-energy, price-caps, market-reform, nova-group, electricity-import, nrecu]
author: "Darya Fomina"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "Remove Licenses and Lift Price Caps": NOVA Co-Owner Demands Transition of Ukrainian Energy Sector to Market Model

![Volodymyr Popereshnyuk, co-owner of the NOVA group of companies, in a business suit against a light background](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/14/poperehnyuk-rynok-energetiki-bez-tsenovyh-ogranicheniy/poperehnyuk-rynok-energetiki-bez-tsenovyh-ogranicheniy-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Volodymyr Popereshnyuk called for transferring Ukraine's energy sector to a full-fledged market model: removing licenses, lifting price caps, and opening the path to privatization.
- He believes that the current model depends excessively on state regulation and prevents the market from rapidly adapting to the challenges of war.
- NEURC raised price caps on short-term market segments in January 2026, which analysts estimate expanded imports from Europe.
- RE industry associations and experts indicate that current price caps restrain market pricing and electricity imports from the EU.

Volodymyr Popereshnyuk, co-owner of the NOVA group of companies, has stated that Ukraine's energy sector must transition to a full-fledged market model without administrative price caps. According to him, such a step will increase the number of private electricity producers and make the energy system more decentralized. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the businessman's statement.

### Electricity as a Standard Market Product

Popereshnyuk believes that electricity should become a regular market product that can be freely produced, supplied, bought, and sold. He calls the abolition of price caps a key condition for such a transition. "All that is needed for this is to finally transfer the energy sector to a full-fledged market model: remove licenses, lift price caps, and open the way for its privatization," he noted. In his estimation, the existing model depends excessively on state regulation and does not allow the market to adapt quickly enough to the challenges of war.

### Decentralization and Infrastructure Resilience

The businessman argues his position by stating that a larger number of private producers could accelerate generation decentralization and reduce business dependence on expensive self-provision. "Therefore, if we need the resilience of the entire energy infrastructure, it must be freed from regulation and licensing. Entry into this market must be open and free," Popereshnyuk emphasized. Thus, his position boils down to the fact that free market entry and the absence of administrative barriers are prerequisites for the resilience of the energy system under combat conditions.

### Price Caps: Increase in 2026 and Role in Imports

The statement came against the backdrop of changes in the price policy of the electricity market. As reported earlier, the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NEURC) increased price caps on short-term market segments in January 2026. According to industry analysts, this step made it possible to expand import cross-sections and increase electricity imports from Europe during a period of deficit caused by damage to energy infrastructure resulting from shelling by the Russian Federation. Andriy Zakrevsky, Deputy Director of the Association of Energy and Natural Resources of Ukraine, previously noted that the ability to attract electricity imports during evening hours depends, among other things, on the level of price caps: after solar generation decreases, Ukraine begins to import electricity if price caps and the economic situation allow it.

### Position of Industry Associations and Experts

The debate over price caps remains active within the industry. The Ukrainian Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine appealed to the regulator with a call to raise the maximum price caps to UAH 18,000/MWh, considering the current levels (UAH 15,000/MWh in the day-ahead and intraday markets and UAH 17,000/MWh in the balancing market) insufficient for the current needs of the energy system. The associations pointed out that in September, the price in the balancing market for a significant number of hours actually reached the maximum allowable UAH 17,000/MWh. Energy Club Vice President and former Deputy Energy Minister Maksym Nemchynov, in turn, called current price caps one of the key barriers to increasing imports from the EU: according to him, the physical and technical readiness of the energy system allows for a significantly larger volume of imports, but price caps deprive traders of incentive when European prices during peak hours exceed Ukrainian caps.

The combination of these statements shows that the issue of price caps and licensing has become central to the discussion on how to ensure the resilience of Ukraine's energy system and expand the influx of private investment into generation and imports in 2026.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Прайс-кэпы сдерживают переход энергетики к полноценному рынку, - совладелец "Новой почты"](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/prays-kepi-strimuyut-perehid-energetiki-povnotsinnogo-1794666626.html) - Primary source: V. Popereshnyuk's statement on transitioning to a market model, quotes, context of NEURC price cap increases in January 2026, and A. Zakrevsky's words.
- [Слишком низкие прайс-кэпы уже сдерживают рынок и новую генерацию, – ассоциации ВИЭ](https://www.unian.net/economics/energetics/slishkom-nizkie-prays-kepy-uzhe-sderzhivayut-rynok-i-novuyu-generaciyu-associacii-vie-13522071.html) - Call from renewable energy associations to raise price caps to UAH 18,000/MWh; current levels of 15,000/17,000 UAH/MWh; reaching the maximum on the balancing market in September.
- [Прайс-кэпы сдерживают развитие импорта электроэнергии из ЕС, - Немчинов](https://www.unian.net/economics/energetics/prays-kepy-sderzhivayut-razvitie-importa-elektroenergii-iz-es-nemchinov-13170132.html) - M. Nemchynov's position: price caps are a barrier to EU imports, utilization of less than 20% of physical capacity, lack of trading incentive when European prices exceed Ukrainian caps.
- [Прайс-кэпы могут ограничить импорт электроэнергии в Украину зимой](https://mignews.com/news/ukraine/prajs-kepy-mogut-ogranichit-import-elektroenergii-v-ukrainu-zimoj.html) - Additional context: price limits may restrict electricity imports from Europe during the winter period.

## FAQ

### Who initiated the transition of the energy sector to a market model?

The initiative was launched by Volodymyr Popereshnyuk, co-owner of the NOVA group of companies, who called for removing licenses, lifting price caps, and opening the way for privatization.

### What, according to Popereshnyuk, hinders the electricity market?

He believes that the existing model depends excessively on state regulation and does not allow the market to adapt quickly enough to the challenges of war.

### What happened to price caps in January 2026?

NEURC increased price caps on short-term market segments, which, according to industry analysts, allowed for expanding import cross-sections and increasing electricity imports from Europe during a period of deficit.

### What is the position of renewable energy industry associations?

The Ukrainian Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine urged raising maximum price caps to UAH 18,000/MWh, considering current levels insufficient for the energy system's needs.