Chebren as a State Project: From Slogan to the Electricity Bill
Behind the announcements that the state will build Chebren and Galiste alone lies a concrete bill — roughly €150 million a year from the budget over seven years, financing that ultimately citizens pay for too.
Prime Minister Christijan Mickoski's announcement that the state is close to deciding to build the Chebren and Galiste hydropower plants on its own, without a private partner, sounds like an ambitious energy move after 14 failed tenders since 2006. But behind the "energy independence" slogan lies a concrete financial bill.
The total investment of roughly €1.5 billion, including interest, would require about €150 million a year directly from the state budget over a seven-year period. While officials say unused capital investment funds become available for that purpose each year, the question of exactly where that money will come from — borrowing, restructuring other capital projects, or increased levies — remains open to the public.
The ultimate effect on citizens' electricity bills depends on whether the project genuinely boosts the country's energy independence and stabilizes prices long-term, or whether the financing costs get passed directly onto tariffs. A 2016 German study already warned the project is marginally profitable given the Crna River's modest flow, an assessment authorities today dispute in light of the value of energy storage for future renewable capacity.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 1, 2026
