October 2020 View this newsletter in your browser here.

 

Editorial

Even as a second wave of Covid-19 affects much of Europe, it has been a busy month for CEER. CEER wishes you and your family good health at this difficult time. In October, CEER organised three online events, including our annual Customer Conference online, released four publications, and responded to a European Commission consultation.

Events
If you missed our recent events, no problem – they have all been recorded and are available in their entirety at the links below.

  • On Tuesday 20 October, CEER held its annual Customer Conference online to present the new “2030 Vision for Energy Consumers” jointly drafted with the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC). The conference brought the thoughts of five young voices, bringing fresh insights from across Europe as young energy consumers looking for an energy sector that corresponds to a sustainable future. After CEER  introduced  the  CEER-BEUC  Vision  2030  for  Energy  Consumers,  outlining  the ASPIRE   principles   for   all   consumers   (Affordability,   Simplicity,   Protection,   Inclusiveness,   Reliability   and Empowerment), CEER Customers and Retail Markets Working Group Chair Anne Vadasz Nilsson moderated a high-level discussion session on the 2030 Vision, bringing together the perspective of co-sponsor BEUC, European Parliament Members and a youth adviser to the European Commission. The second part of the conference allowed 12 different stakeholders to give short reactions to the individual ASPIRE principles. Please find the recording here.
  • On Friday 23 October, CEER hosted a webinar to discuss the future developments of distribution network development plans (D-NDPs) from the perspectives of NRAs and DSOs, and to facilitate further developments in the European countries where they already exist and their introduction in the remaining countries. It included case studies from industry and a National Regulatory Authority (NRA), a presentation from the European Commission on relevant legislation and a panel discussion on challenges and advantages of D-NDPs according to the Clean Energy Package, including GEODE, EPRI, EASE, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment Finland and Italian NRA ARERA. The panel was moderated by Athir Nouicer of the Florence School of Regulation, and the overall chairing was by Distribution Systems Working Group Chair Veli-Pekka Saajo. Please find the recording here.
  • On Wednesday 28 October, the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and CEER had a joint webinar to present the key findings of their latest Annual Report on the results of monitoring the internal electricity and gas markets (the Market Monitoring Report (MMR)). This year the MMR comprises three volumes analysing Europe’s energy markets in 2019: the Gas Wholesale Volume the Electricity Wholesale Market Volume and the Retail Markets and Consumer Protection volume, all now published here. Speakers at the event included ACER Director Christian Zinglersen and CEER President Annegret Groebel. Please find the recording here.

Publications

  • 13 October: CEER-BEUC 2030 Vision for Energy Consumers: LET'S ASPIRE! This is a fundamental document, done jointly with the European Consumer Organisation BEUC, that looks ahead to 2030 and the EU’s 2050 sustainability and climate neutrality objectives. CEER and BEUC envision a future where effective policies and frameworks ensure that consumer rights are promoted and protected, whilst delivering these objectives. The new CEER-BEUC 2030 Vision for Energy Consumers includes our newest principle, inclusiveness, to ensure no one is left behind in the energy transition.  The renewal and expansion of our core principles are driven by the deep transformation of our society and economy towards a decarbonised and sustainable future.
  • ACER/CEER Market Monitoring Report 2019 – Electricity Wholesale Markets Volume (21 October) and Energy Retail and Consumer Protection Volume (26 October). In electricity, full price convergence was observed almost 50% of the time in the so-called Central-West Europe region. However, recurrent delays in some key projects, such as flow-based market coupling covering 13 Member States are hindering the further integration of electricity wholesale markets. The difference between wholesale and retail energy prices widened in 2019, highlighting barriers in retail markets. Regulated prices in some Member States can limit the entry of new suppliers and reduce consumer choice.  Such choice will be important to enable consumers to unlock cost savings in their energy bills where possible, particularly when some of the non-contestable aspects such as taxes and levies may increase in the future to help deliver decarbonisation.
  • 27 October: CEER Status Review Report on Regulatory Frameworks for Innovation in Electricity Transmission Infrastructure. More on this below in the Feature section.

Consultation Response

Feature

European Fora and CEER
CEER has a long history of presenting and interacting in fora organised by the European Commission: the European Electricity Regulatory (‘Florence’) Forum; the European Gas Regulatory (‘Madrid’) Forum; the Energy Infrastructure (‘Copenhagen’) Forum; and the Citizens Energy (‘Dublin’) Forum. CEER presents on its own and also oftentimes jointly with ACER. The European Electricity Regulatory (‘Florence’) Forum and the European Gas Regulatory (‘Madrid’) Forum were originally set up to discuss the creation of the internal electricity and gas markets (respectively) and now focus on their further development. The Energy Infrastructure (‘Copenhagen’) Forum discusses the challenges of developing Europe’s energy infrastructure and building an internal energy market. The Citizens Energy (‘Dublin’) Forum explores consumers' perspective and role in the EU energy market. CEER plays a key role in all of these areas and its participation ensures that regulators’ views contribute to the efficient development of the internal energy market in a way that benefits European consumers.

Given the extraordinary situation at present, fora have been converted into online events this year, with two having already taken place.

The 34th European Gas Regulatory Forum took place on 14-15 October. The CEER-ACER Gas Working Group Chair, Pedro Verdelho, presented the joint CEER and ACER position on the hydrogen regulatory framework and regulatory treatment of power-to-gas. CEER, by LNG WS Co-Chair Rocío Prieto González, also provided an intervention to the regulatory and technical aspects of the readiness of European LNG terminals to receive new gases. Presentations are at the forum link.

 

The 6th European Energy Infrastructure Forum is taking place today, 29 October (presentations uploaded after the event). CEER Gas Working Group Vice Chair Benoît Esnault and ACER’s Jan Kostevc presented on ACER and CEER proposals on the revision of the TEN-E Regulation, based on the paper on the topic published in June. ACER-CEER Electricity Working Group Chair Christine Materazzi-Wagner gave an oral intervention in Session 2: Role of energy infrastructure for the energy system integration and ACER’s Juan López Vaquero presented on behalf of both organisations on Sustainability considerations of energy infrastructure developments. ACER/CEER Infrastructure Task Force/Work Stream Co-Chairs Carola Millgramm and Riccardo Vailati presented on the CEER status review on regulatory frameworks for innovation in gas and electricity transmission. The electricity part is based on the already-published CEER Status Review Report on Regulatory Frameworks for Innovation in Electricity Transmission Infrastructure. This follows on the Energy Infrastructure Forum 2019, which invited NRAs to review their regulatory practice regarding innovation in light of the recommendations of a consultancy study. CEER was invited to present a progress report on the regulatory practices at today’s Forum.

This report finds that there is a lack of formal definitions of innovation in legislative or regulatory frameworks. The report identifies that innovation in electricity transmission is mostly promoted indirectly via the general regulatory framework and/or via specific features regarding incentives for network performance (output-based regulation). Following the identification of several legislative barriers to innovations in some countries, such as the lack of NRA powers to implement certain decisions regarding tariffs; and the lack of NRA powers/duties to consult the network development plan and to approve it, European energy regulators recommend that, 1.) It is essential to provide NRAs with sufficient leverage and regulatory control over tariff setting and 2.) NRAs should be empowered to approve and to amend the national transmission network development plans.

Upcoming

CEER will participate in the 12th Citizens Energy Forum that will take place in online format on 19-20 November 2020. Commissioners Kadri Simson and Didier Reynders will speak at the event.
This year’s edition of the Forum will be the first one to take place after the adoption of the Green Deal and, at the same time, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. It will discuss how the Green Deal is not only the blueprint and roadmap to make Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050, but also key to the EU recovery strategy, putting people first and ensuring a fair and inclusive transition leaving no one behind.

CEER will present in the plenary session the renewed CEER-BEUC 2030 Vision for Energy Consumers and will contribute to the relevant thematic sessions.

The 35th European Electricity Regulatory Forum is planned for 7-8 December 2020.

Have you seen CEER’s LinkedIn page?

If not, check it out at: https://be.linkedin.com/company/ceer-energy

It’s another way to stay up to date with CEER’s activities.

Did you know that the CEER-EFET online training course on “European Wholesale Electricity and Gas Market Trading” on 23-24 November 2020 is open to the public?

Find out more information here and register here.

Contact

Charles.Esser@ceer.eu

Tel Logo +32 278 873 36

 

www.ceer.eu

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