CEER November 2021 Newsletter 
 
 
Days are getting shorter, and Christmas is just around the corner. However, before the winter break, we still have a lot to work on. November was also full of online events and publications, with two volumes of the Market Monitoring Reports being published and presented via webinars (info and links in the sections below). In addition, the EU4Energy Programme held roundtables and workshops about which you can read in the published press releases.
 
Finally, we have asked our Vice President and Gas Working Group Chair, Pedro Verdelho, to explain the work of his working group shortly as we are awaiting the publication of the European Commission Gas Package in mid-December.
Enjoy the reading.
 
Feature
The energy sector is undergoing a period of transition and transformation, particularly considering the EU’s ambitious decarbonisation targets.

The goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050 established by the EU Green Deal has increased recognition that decarbonising the energy sector requires a massive increase in renewable energy sources in our energy mix. This will mean a profound metamorphosis of the energy system, namely in terms of energy efficiency, a decrease in the use of fossil fuels, the growth of electrification in society and the evolution of the natural gas sector with the development of decarbonised gases such as hydrogen.

With that in mind, I see three interwoven dimensions and challenges for regulators in the context of society's decarbonisation and the consequent energy transition, namely to:

  i. continue work on the integration of markets through the existence of robust interconnections between countries and functional regional markets that allow for the reception of large-scale renewable generation and contribute to reducing the EU’s energy import dependence and price volatility;
   ii. foster local and decentralised energy and economies through flexible consumption processes such as self-consumption, energy sharing and energy communities. Digitalisation and smart grids will be key in developing this new economy of proximity energy;
   iii. enhance the integration of energy systems and the circular economy of energy through the integration of energy carriers (electricity, gas, heat, …) and sectors of activity (industry, transport, services, ...) which will ensure the total decarbonisation of our society at the lowest cost, in particular of energy-intensive sectors.

The aim is to achieve decarbonisation in a fair and inclusive way. Regulation should combat all market barriers associated with situations of energy poverty, info-exclusion, misalignment of interests and lack of information so as not to leave anyone behind. 
Pedro Verdelho, ERSE, Portugal – CEER Vice President and Gas Working Group Chair
 
Publications
This document presents CEER’s views on electricity distribution network development plans. The paper addresses aspects that distribution system operators should consider when preparing and consulting on their network development plans and actions that national regulatory authorities could take to foster transparency and participation in distribution network planning processes. This is a response to the European Commission’s request for feedback on a proposal for Directive on Energy Efficiency (recast) COM(2021) 558, which was published on 14 July 2021. CEER also responded to the public consultation run by the European Commission from 17 November 2020 to 9 February 2021.  
This is a response to the European Commission’s request for feedback on a proposal to revise Directive 2018/2001/EU on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, which was published on 14 July 2021. CEER welcomes the European Commission’s proposal. The response builds on and further develops CEER’s reactions to the public consultation run by the European Commission from 17 November 2020 to 9 February 2021.
  The report focuses on the structure and performance of European retail electricity and gas markets and provides an overview of the developments in 2020, including the impacts of COVID-19 and beyond. Find out all about the report here. The Electricity Volume of the Market Monitoring Report provides information on the status of Europe’s electricity wholesale markets in 2020. This MMR covers the European Union (EU), Norway, the United Kingdom and the Energy Community Contracting Parties (En CP). Find out all about the report here.
 
Events
SAVE THE DATE
 
CEER CUSTOMER CONFERENCE 2022 will be held in a hybrid format (Brussels and online) on 23 March!
Recent events
  • 25 November: ACER and CEER contributed to the Energy Infrastructure Forum again this year. In session 1, Gas Working Group Vice-Chair Benoît Esnault presented ACER-CEER views on Energy system integration and interlinkage and in session 2, Infrastructure Workstreams Chair Riccardo Vailati gave ACER-CEER views on gas and electricity planning at transmission and distribution level, highlighting the Electricity D-NDPs paper published on 24 November. Furthermore, ACER Department Head Dennis Hesseling spoke at the Forum. Find more information and related documents here!
  • 10 November: CEER and the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) held a webinar to present the main findings and recommendations of the Energy Retail and Consumer Protection Volume of the Market Monitoring Report (MMR). More information about the event here.
  • 5 November: CEER and the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) held a webinar to present the main findings and recommendations of the Electricity Wholesale Volume of the Market Monitoring Report (MMR). Find the recording here.
  • 22 October: A Consumer-Centric Energy Transition:  Ensuring Inclusiveness – event by CEER-BEUC-NEON during EUSEW.
Achieving (at least) 55% emission reductions by 2030 will only be feasible if a coherent policy framework across sectors is put in place to enable consumers to actively take part in the energy transition and ensure that no one is left behind by embedding inclusiveness in its design and implementation. Find the slides and recording here.
 
International
The CEER Executive-level Seminar on Regulatory Policy and Dynamic Regulation took place on 16 November online. This year’s edition was attended not only by European senior regulatory representatives but also colleagues from Regional Association of Energy Regulators for Eastern and Southern Africa (RAERESA). The seminar proposed an unique opportunity to exchange views and provided lively discussions.
 
EU4Energy and the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Host Roundtable on Clean Energy Transition in Azerbaijan
The roundtable gathered European and Azerbaijani experts from state institutions to discuss main developments, improvements and challenges of the European Green Deal and its deep decarbonisation policy, as well as the clean energy transition of Azerbaijan.
Press release

The EU4Energy Programme Launched Series of Workshops for Representatives of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure and the Energy Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Armenia
The European Union has launched through its EU4Energy Programme a series of workshops for the representatives of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and  Infrastructure  (MTAI)  and  the  Public  Services  Regulatory Commission (PSRC) of the Republic of Armenia, enabling participants to acquire knowledge and experience in the fields  of  energy  market  liberalisation,  market  monitoring,  regional  market  development,  as  well  as  licensing, regulatory cost audit and quality of service.

Press release

European Union Hosted Autumn Digital EU4Energy Week for Eastern Partnership Universities
The European Union has launched through its EU4Energy Programme the Autumn Digital EU4Energy Week for Eastern Partnership (EaP) Universities as a platform for knowledge and experience sharing among EU4Energy experts from the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Energy Community Secretariat (EnCS) and students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. In this platform, future energy professionals will have the opportunity to follow and engage in discussions on a wide range of topics in the energy field.

Press release and more information about the EU4Energy Programme Phase II

COP26 in Glasgow
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), hosted in Glasgow, UK, on 31 October – 12 November 2021, was a key moment in the global effort against climate change. Ofgem (CEER Member) hosted a number of themed events in conjunction with relevant international organisations. More information can be found on Ofgem’s website.
 
On this occasion, a new platform for energy regulators’ collaboration was launched. Through the Regulatory Energy Transition Accelerator (RETA), the objective is to enable energy regulators worldwide to turn climate ambitions into collective real-world action. The Accelerator is an initiative to boost the regulators’ capacity to increase the speed of the clean energy transition. The joint statement launched at COP26 can be found here.
 
CEER Training Academy
Mark your calendars!
CEER Training Programme for 2022 is available. A couple of courses are also open to public.
 

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