October 2019

CEER Newsletter

Editorial

Freshly released by Europe’s energy regulators are several interesting publications. These include the CEER Digitalisation Paper (featured below); a status review update on the CEER Roadmap to 2025 Well-Functioning Retail Energy Markets; a CEER note on the comparability of continuity indicators; and 3 (of the 4) volumes of the ACER-CEER Market Monitoring Report (MMR) namely the Gas Wholesale, the Retail and the Consumer Protection volumes.

In the context of the decarbonisation, a visionary paper by regulators with a focus on the gas sector and sector coupling that recommends regulatory action and possible future legislative proposals is coming shortly. This ACER-CEER “Bridge Beyond 2025” paper takes account of stakeholder feedback received during recent CEER and ACER public consultations. For some insights, check out the presentation of our upcoming ACER-CEER Bridge Paper at the October European Gas Regulatory Forum (Madrid Forum), and don’t miss our ACER-CEER “Bridge Beyond 2025” event (20 Nov).

In terms of latest events, we co-hosted with the Czech regulator a joint workshop in Prague on heating regulation on 16 October. We also hosted a delegation of regulators from Africa on a study visit to Brussels and sent European regulatory experts on a capacity-enhancing mission to Serbia on renewables (see the international section below).

RAERESA Delegation in Brussels

FEATURE - CEER Paper on Dynamic Regulation to Enable Digitalisation of the Energy System
For the period 2019-2021, CEER’s main focus as set out in CEER’s 3D Strategy is on:
•   Digitalisation in the consumer interest
•   Decarbonisation at least cost
•   Dynamic regulation: European solutions for adaptive regulation in a fast-changing world

CEER’s newly released Digitalisation Paper is a perfect illustration of regulators’ efforts to deliver on the digitalisation agenda of CEER’s 3D Strategy.

What’s in CEER’s Digitalistion Paper?

The CEER Digitalisation Paper:
•    explores what digitalisation means for consumers and the role of the regulator in stimulating change in a positive way for the consumer    
•    identifies the risks and challenges of digitalisation; the core elements of a sustainable regulatory strategy on digitalisation in the energy sector; and the priority areas where regulators and DSOs can add most value
•    recommends actions to unlock the benefits of digitalisation for consumers

Where’s the benefit of digitalisation for consumers?

In CEER’s view, digitalisation is not an objective in itself but rather is a means to deliver benefits for the energy system and ultimately for energy consumers.

Digitalisation of the energy system drives change and creates value propositions for consumers. In terms of the system changes, CEER identified that digitalisation:
•    increases the productivity of the current energy system;
•    enables new services that alter energy demand; and
•    brings new platforms and market places that transform the sector.

The potential benefits that digitalisation can bring to consumers include:
•    cost savings;
•    convenience;
•    choice;
•    consumer participation; and
•    quality and security of supply.

What is CEER’s proposed regulatory strategy for energy digitalisation in the consumer interest?

The CEER Digitalisation Paper sets out a pathway to get the best out of digitalisation in the consumer interest. Six elements lie at the heart of CEER’s regulatory strategy for energy digitalisation in the consumer interest:

1.    Giving the right price-signals: Generation, consumption and network data needs to be given a clear market value to incentivise prosumers and their intermediaries to profit from using the data to optimise their behaviour.
2.    Encouraging Distribution System Operators (DSOs) to use flexibility: A great deal of the value in data comes from DSOs making efficient use of the information to increase the system efficiency.
3.    Empowering consumers: Digitalisation needs to be used to empower consumers to ensure that they can benefit from increased digitalisation of the energy sector.
4.    Generating the right sort of data: Appropriately granular data on the electricity system is needed, data which is beneficial for managing the whole system.
5.    Making data accessible and useful: Data needs to be collated and made available not only to network operators but also to current and potential market participants:

    a. Accessible and interoperable data for current and potential market participants, subject to  appropriate cost-benefit analysis.
     b. Data needs to be secure, in line with cybersecurity and data protection requirements.

6.    Allowing innovation: For consumers to benefit from innovation and digitalisation, regulators and DSOs need to be adaptable and respond to developments in markets.

Recommendations in CEER’s Digitalisation Paper

To fulfil these core elements, CEER identified seven recommendations for regulators, DSOs and others:
1.    Ensuring data protection
2.    Strengthening cybersecurity
3.    Monitoring market evolution
4.    Designing the right grid service products
5.    Deepening TSO/DSO relationships
6.    Empowering consumers through new products
7.    Regulating intermediaries

This “CEER Conclusions Paper on Dynamic Regulation to Enable Digitalisation of the Energy System" is the result of a public consultation.

Linking to the digitalisation theme, CEER also recently published case studies on technology aspects of the Clean Energy Package (2019) and in 2018 a Smart Technology Development report.

The latter identifies five technologies that are changing the traditional role of the customer and how they interact with retail energy markets. Digitalisation of the energy sector will remain a pillar of our work in 2020 and 2021.

PUBLICATIONS

- ACER-CEER Market Monitoring Report 2018: Gas Wholesale Markets Volume; Retail Market Volume; and Consumer Empowerment Volume.

- CEER Roadmap to 2025 Well-Functioning Retail Energy Markets – 2018 Self-Assessment Status Report, 30 October 2019

- CEER Press Release: “CEER takes on heating regulation via a joint CEER-ERO workshop”, 16 Oct 2019

- CEER Conclusions Paper on Dynamic Regulation to Enable Digitalisation of the Energy System, 10 Oct 2019 and accompanying Evaluation of Responses

- CEER Note on comparability of continuity indicators, 3 Oct 2019

PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS & EVENTS

Upcoming events in Brussels:
-    CEER Customer Conference, 5 Nov
-    CEER-BNetzA-FSR event on the energy regulatory challenges after the Clean Energy Package, 15 Nov
-    ACER-CEER Market Monitoring launch event, 20 Nov
-    ACER-CEER Bridge Beyond 2025 event, 20 Nov
-    CEER Annual Conference, 23 Jan 2020
Visit our website for our future consultations and the calendar of future events.

INTERNATIONAL            

CEER welcomed a delegation of 14 energy regulators from the Regional Association of Energy Regulators for Eastern and Southern (RAERESA) on a five-day study tour promoting gender and diversity, organised by CEER and RAERESA, supported by the European Commission.

Energy regulators worldwide collaborate through the International Confederation of Energy Regulators (ICER).  Regulators gathered in Peru (see photo below) on the 10th anniversary of ICER to start preparations for the next World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER) to be held in Lima in March 2021.  

          

Contact

Una.Shortall@ceer.eu

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