March 2012

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  Issue: March 2012

  Feature | Public Consultations | Events | Publications | International

Editorial

March was very much the month for gas issues. Regulators presented on a range of issues at the European Gas Regulatory Forum (22-23 March) including on gas transit contracts, REMIT, the Network Codes on capacity allocation, the Regional Initiatives and Framework Guidelines.

The Madrid Forum endorsed the CEER’s Gas Target Model (see 21st Madrid Forum Conclusions and CEER Press Release (PR-12-03). GLE launched its Transparency Template. This new tool, the fruits of intense collaboration between CEER and GLE, should improve access to European LNG terminals (see CEER Press Release PR-12-02).

Delegates of ACER’s first annual conference got a taste of Ljubljana at its spring-time best. This month, CEER held a workshop on web-based price comparison tools. Next month is the workshop on meter data management. On consumer issues, our position paper on the proposed Directive on Consumer Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) highlights some important issues and provides input for an effective ADR.

It is almost time to start packing for Quebec city which plays host to the 5th World Energy Forum in May. Closer to home, CEER and ICER will host a workshop on Renewable Energy Strategy in Brussels during the EU’s Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW). Register for this June 20 event via www.eusew.eu. For more on renewables, including news of a soon-to-be-published international report, read this edition’s feature article.

Finally, thanks for your valued suggestions on how to improve CEER consultation practice. “Your View Counts” was not only a slogan we used. We plan to announce our new and improved public consultation rules in May.

Feature - EU's renewable energy strategy and international case studies

Is the EU’s current approach to renewables fit for purpose post 2020?
In CEER’s input to the European Commission public consultation on the Renewable Energy Strategy, we welcome the Commission’s aim to assess whether the current approach to promote renewables for a period – post-2020 – is fit for purpose. But, several of the issues raised in the Commission’s consultation document are also relevant now (per 2020) during the current ongoing process of integration, coordination and harmonisation of national rules and regime e.g. ACER’s current work on Framework Guidelines on Electricity Balancing.

Market based support schemes
CEER is currently analysing the responses of its consultation on the implications of the lack of a non-harmonised RES support schemes. Unsurprisingly, preliminary findings show that different support schemes impact on investment decisions. CEER calls for future support schemes to be more market based, and for comparative information on support schemes to be published and benchmarked. CEER supports the idea that renewable energy should be exposed to prices risks as is conventional energy.

Integrated approach to renewables
With implementation of the 3rd Energy Package, CEER foresees substantial progress before 2020 in dealing with national difference on many grid issues such as connection rules, balancing and market access and network charges. Thus, CEER sees the case or priority rules for renewables in these areas becoming less necessary (see CEER conclusion paper on the regulatory aspects of the integration of wind generation in the EU electricity market). Issues such as cross-border capacity allocation, short gate-closure times and balancing arrangements are currently being addressed in ACER’s draft Framework Guidelines on Electricity Balancing.

International report on Renewables and Distributed Generation
An ICER-CEER workshop on 20th June during Sustainable Energy Week will showcase some international case studies on renewables. The soon to be published report by the International Confederation of Energy Regulators demonstrates, through case studies, how energy regulators are rethinking traditional regulatory models and tools (e.g. planning criteria, cost allocation procedures etc.) to support large-scale deployment of renewable generation and distributed generation. CEER is a member of ICER and chairs Climate Change working group which drafted the ICER report.

Public Consultations

Visit our website to be updated on our future consultations.

Events

Workshop on meter data management, Brussels,19 April 2012
CEER-ICER workshop on Renewable Energy Strategy, Brussels, 20 June 2012

Visit our website to be updated on our future events.

Publications

CEER Position Paper on the Commission proposal for a Directive on Consumer ADR, Ref. C12-CEM-49-05, 12 March 2012

International

Register for the Fifth World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFERV), 13-16 May 2012.

 

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CONTACT
Una.Shortall@ceer.eu

Tel: +32 27887330 or
+ 32 484 668599