As a part of the EU harmonisation process, Czech Republic has successfully brought its energy sector standards in line with those of the EU. There is also an on-going debate regarding a decrease in the country’s dependence on solid fuels as a primary energy source. Energy Regulatory Authority, which began operating in 2001, is responsible for setting the distribution/ transmition part of the energy prices and for establishing framework for third party access to the electrical grid. Pressure to liberalise the sector and to split up vertically integrated companies has been apparent particularly in the case of power plants. Sustainable development discussions and geopolitical influences create pressure to increase the efficiency of energy processes. In relation to that, there has also been an effort to use alternative energy sources, which in the Czech Republic has had a tradition in the form of small hydropower plants. Together with solar and wind power and the use of biomass, these energy sources represent options for growth.