FSR Energy & Climate: Recent Episodes
Florence School of Regulation
In this final episode of the CAPABLE Project podcast, Professor Simone Borghesi (EUI) interviews two researchers closely involved in the project, Alessia Casamassima (EUI) and Ilaria Dibattista (EUI), who reflect on its journey, main achievements, and key takeaways. They highlight the most important insights gained, the challenges encountered, and the lessons learned along the way. This closing conversation offers a clear, direct, and thoughtful summary of CAPABLE’s impact, as well as its implications for future research and practice.CAPABLE is a research project funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101056891. It provides robust, resilient and actionable recommendations for the design of socially and economically acceptable climate policy measures for 2030 and beyond, examining experiences, policy design and implementation solutions to identify strategies that can enable a successful transition. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. More info on CAPABLE: https://capableclimate.eu/
In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 10), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by Fabio Santeramo, Part-time Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre and Head of the Agriculture Area at the Florence School of Regulation. The trio examines how climate policy and global trade are reshaping the future of European agriculture. The conversation opens with the EU’s recent food trade surplus and what it signals about Europe’s position in global agricultural markets. Does strong export performance reflect confidence in the EU’s ESG standards, or do sustainability frameworks still struggle to deliver meaningful change on the ground?Drawing on Fabio’s Policy Brief, the discussion turns to the evolving landscape of agricultural emissions pricing - from the political sensitivities surrounding a dedicated ETS for agriculture to the challenges of extending “polluter pays” principles to food systems. They also consider the leverage of the Common Agricultural Policy, the EU’s largest funding instrument, and whether reforming its incentives may prove more effective than introducing new regulatory obligations.Finally, the hosts and Fabio confront the major structural questions: the environmental impact of livestock, the pressures on land use and biodiversity, and whether future food systems can be sustainable without more transformative shifts in production and consumption. The episode also touches on emerging innovations such as cell-based meat and what they might mean for Europe’s path forward. Recorded in September 2025.Read the full Policy Brief from Fabio here: https://cadmus.eui.eu/entities/publication/45bb0ee6-f272-5055-8aaf-a5b8bef37148
In this interview with Simone Borghesi and Andris Piebalgs, we explore the key outcomes of COP30—the United Nations climate conference held in Belém, Brazil—focusing in particular on the insights and contributions provided by the Florence School of Regulation (FSR). For all FSR content related to COP30, visit: https://fsr.eui.eu/the-fsr-at-cop30-live-updates/
In the EU, national regulatory authorities are meant to act without political interference — but how independent are they really? In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 9), hosts Leonardo Meeus and Emma Menegatti sit down with FSR part-time Professor Kaisa Huhta to discuss the evolving definition of regulators’ independence in the EU. Drawing on Kaisa Huhta's recent Policy Brief, the discussion examines why regulators' independence matters, how recent European Court of Justice rulings have tested its boundaries, and what these cases mean for the future framework of energy regulation in Europe. Recorded in October 2025. Read the policy brief: https://fsr.eui.eu/publications/?handle=1814/92830
his is the fifth episode of a series focused on the findings of the Horizon Europe project CAPABLE (ClimAte Policy AcceptaBiLity Economic framework). The aim of this podcast series is to provide an overview of the CAPABLE project and draw attention to some particularly relevant findings. In this fifth episode, how to ensure that research reaches policymaker.The guest is Gaby Umbach. Gaby is Part-time Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of the European University Institute, where she leads the Global Governance Programme’s research area Knowledge, Governance, Transformations and heads the Interdisciplinary Research Cluster on Expert Knowledge and Authority in Transformative Times. She is also a non-resident Visiting Fellow at the European Parliamentary Research Service, Adjunct Professor at the Universities of Innsbruck and CIFE/LUISS Guido Carli, and Academic Advisor at the Institute for European Politics in Berlin.Her work examines the role of knowledge, evidence, and data in governance, with a focus on statistics as a tool of policymaking, evidence-informed governance, data literacy, and sustainable development. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cologne, where she previously researched EU decision-making, governance, and policy coordination.CAPABLE is a research project funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101056891. It provides robust, resilient and actionable recommendations for the design of socially and economically acceptable climate policy measures for 2030 and beyond, examining experiences, policy design and implementation solutions to identify strategies that can enable a successful transition. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. More info on CAPABLE: https://capableclimate.eu/
In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 8), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone reflect on Ursula von der Leyen’s 2025 State of the Union address and on the conference marking one year since the Draghi report, where Leo took part in a panel of experts.The conversation revisits Draghi’s diagnosis of Europe’s competitiveness challenges and considers how it holds up in today’s shifting geopolitical and economic context. They explore progress under the Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal, particularly efforts to reduce energy prices, and assess the priorities for the year ahead. The hosts also examine von der Leyen’s call to accelerate the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels, the role of electrification in driving down costs and improving the security of supply, and her proposals for more flexible EU funding and decision-making.Finally, they reflect on how these policy directions relate to Europe’s values and the consistency of the EU’s agenda in a global context marked by instability elsewhere. Recorded in September 2025.
This is the fourth episode of a series focused on the findings of the Horizon Europe project CAPABLE (ClimAte Policy AcceptaBiLity Economic framework). The aim of this podcast series is to provide an overview of the CAPABLE project and draw attention to some particularly relevant findings. In this fourth episode, we explore how focusing on workers can help achieve a climate transition and keep public opinion on board.The guest is Giulia Laganà. Giulia was a migration expert for fifteen years before broadening her focus to include labour rights and the climate transition from 2018. She has been a senior adviser to the President of the Italian Parliament and spent five years with the United Nations and seven in private philanthropy, most recently for ClimateWorks Foundation and previously with the Open Society Foundations. Giulia has experience of advocacy, policymaking, grant management and donor relations as well as communications. An Italian national, Giulia is also part-British and part-Spanish. She has been leading the International Trade Union Confederation’s Just Transition & Climate department since January 2024.CAPABLE is a research project funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101056891. It provides robust, resilient and actionable recommendations for the design of socially and economically acceptable climate policy measures for 2030 and beyond, examining experiences, policy design and implementation solutions to identify strategies that can enable a successful transition. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. More info on CAPABLE: https://capableclimate.eu/
In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 7), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone speak with Mira Tiwari from the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies about how the EU’s evolving approach to environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies is impacting value chains in the Global South.Mira breaks down what “Global North” and “Global South” really mean in today’s context, and why the Global South’s agency is often undervalued in international ESG decision-making. Together, the group explores:- How representation in ESG bodies can affect outcomes- Why Global South participation in the policymaking process is crucial for successful implementation- The potential tensions between commercial interests and ESG priorities- What the EU’s recent regulatory changes signal for global cooperationDrawing on Mira’s recent co-authored article, the discussion highlights key policy recommendations for improving ESG governance worldwide. Recorded in May 2025.https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/environment-and-development-economics/article/reforming-esg-a-european-and-global-south-perspective/1323446BCF29A503EFA4E361ADBE0CCD
This is the third episode of a series focused on the findings of the Horizon Europe project CAPABLE (ClimAte Policy AcceptaBiLity Economic framework). The aim of this podcast series is to provide an overview of the CAPABLE project and draw attention to some particularly relevant findings. In this third episode, we dive into a fascinating survey carried out in the context of the CAPABLE project that explores how citizens across the European Union view the feasibility of climate change policies. We focus on social and contextual factors affecting behavioral change and support for specific climate policies.The guest is Keith Smith. Keith is a senior researcher at ETH Zurich. His research analyses the incentives shaping why institutions, policymakers and citizens around the world will (or will not) work towards creating environmental public goods, such as mitigating climate change, or improving air quality. Along with colleagues at the University of Groningen, Keith is a co-lead WP2 in the HEU Capable project on social acceptability and feasibility.CAPABLE is a research project funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101056891. It provides robust, resilient and actionable recommendations for the design of socially and economically acceptable climate policy measures for 2030 and beyond, examining experiences, policy design and implementation solutions to identify strategies that can enable a successful transition. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. More info on CAPABLE: https://capableclimate.eu/
What will it take to decarbonise Europe’s non-ferrous metals industry? Adina Georgescu (Eurometaux) joins us to talk about the sector’s progress, challenges ahead, and the policy tools needed for a competitive, low-carbon future. Recorded at the EUI Climate Week in May 2025, as part of the LIFE COASE project.
6 What's next for carbon markets? with Simone Borghesi by Florence School of Regulation
This is the second episode of a series focused on the findings of the Horizon Europe project CAPABLE (ClimAte Policy AcceptaBiLity Economic framework). The aim of this podcast series is to provide an overview of the CAPABLE project and draw attention to some particularly relevant findings.In this second episode we host Jeroen van den Bergh, full professor of environmental and climate economics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This episode with Jeroen will be focused on the need for clear guidelines for climate policy that all climate and policy scientists should agree about. The climate policy expert Jeroen will tell us about how to provide these clear guidelines through the 10 Commandments for climate policy design.CAPABLE is a research project funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101056891. It provides robust, resilient and actionable recommendations for the design of socially and economically acceptable climate policy measures for 2030 and beyond, examining experiences, policy design and implementation solutions to identify strategies that can enable a successful transition. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Listen to the other podcasts here: https://soundcloud.com/fsregulation-energy-and-climate/sets/capable-podcastMore info on CAPABLE: https://capableclimate.eu/
In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 5), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone sit down with the Director of the FSR Transport area, Juan Montero. The group explore how and why contracts for railway services are tendered in the EU, which parts of the network are profitable, which require subsidies, and how various Member States approach these contracts differently. Drawing from Juan's recent Policy Brief, the discussion addresses the policy implications of why the EU is encouraging more tendering, issues conducting tenders, and how they can be resolved. Recorded in April 2025. https://cadmus.eui.eu/entities/publication/e7adec46-9f7c-5f68-851f-906ee8994ec9
In this episode we speak to Lorna Ritchie, Director of Public Affairs for the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM). We discuss the work of ICVCM and how new developments, such as the operationalization of the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, will affect the Voluntary Carbon Market. The interview was led by Lea Heinrich, Project Associate at the Climate Team of the Florence School of Regulation and recorded during the LIFE COASE policy dialogue at the EUI Climate Week in May 2025.
In this episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase (Season 2, Episode 4), hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone sit down with FSR Research Associate Elodie Petrozziello to explore how European transport networks are evolving and why urban nodes are key to their successful modernisation. Drawing from Elodie's recent Policy Brief, the discussion covers the updated TEN-T regulation, fresh approaches to transport governance, and insights from the 'Florence Intermodal Forum'. The episode also highlights real-world examples of urban nodes - some leading the way, others falling short. Recorded in April 2025. Read the policy brief: https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/77172
3 The case for CCUS in EU industrial decarbonisation with Christopher Jones by Florence School of Regulation
The 'FSR Policy Briefcase' Season 2 episode 2 covers "TEN-E", the EU policy for planning and building cross-border energy networks, in light of the Draghi reports recommendations. In particular, it explores the TEN-E's past achievements, its current role, and potential areas for improvement. For this episode, hosts Leonardo Meeus and Emma Menegatti are joined by Catharina Sikow-Magny from the Florence School of regulation. The conversation builds on Catharina's recently published Policy Brief, "Making TEN-E into a truly European project". The Draghi report identifies energy network investments as critical to Europe. However, the group discussed how it fails to fully acknowledge the already existing TEN-E framework in its recommendations. The discussion moreover explored the different routes for improvement including EU funding mechanisms, regional coordination, and permitting processes. See below for a link to the original Policy Briefhttps://fsr.eui.eu/publications/?handle=1814/77413
This is the first episode of a series focused on the findings of the Horizon Europe project CAPABLE (ClimAte Policy AcceptaBiLity Economic framework). The aim of this podcast series is to provide an overview of the CAPABLE project and draw attention to some particularly relevant findings. In this first episode, we want to give a general overview of CAPABLE, highlighting the main topics we are going to touch on, focusing on its policy impacts and contribution. The guests are Silvia Pianta and Johannes Emmerling. Johannes is a Senior Scientist at the European Institute on Economics and Environment (EIEE). He co-leads its low-carbon pathways unit and he is the scientific coordinator of the Horizon Europe project CAPABLE. His main research areas include climate change and energy economics, risk and uncertainty, and welfare economics and development. Silvia is a Scientist at EIEE and the deputy coordinator of CAPABLE. Her research focuses on environmental policy and politics. She investigates the determinants of environmental attitudes and behaviours, climate policy preferences, public attention to climate change, and the impact of environmental change on political behaviour. CAPABLE is a research project funded by the Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101056891. It provides robust, resilient and actionable recommendations for the design of socially and economically acceptable climate policy measures for 2030 and beyond, examining experiences, policy design and implementation solutions to identify strategies that can enable a successful transition. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. More info on CAPABLE: https://capableclimate.eu/
Making Capacity Markets Work for Energy Security and Market EfficiencyIn the first episode of the FSR Policy Briefcase - Season 2, hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by Emma Menegatti (FSR) to explore how capacity markets in the European electricity sector can be streamlined for better security of supply and market efficiency. Building on Emma's recent Policy Brief, the discussion unpacks the fundamentals of capacity mechanisms—what they are, why they matter, and the key reforms underway. The episode also highlights how relaxing cross-border requirements could enhance their effectiveness.See below for a link to the original Policy Brief:https://fsr.eui.eu/publications/?handle=1814/77492
Interviewed by the FSR team (Lea Heinrich and Chiara Canestrini), Simone Borghesi, Director of the FSR Climate area, and former Commissioner Andris Piebalgs share their insights from Baku, Azerbaijan, where they attended the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).
The ninth episode of the ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ breaks down Ursula von der Leyen's Political Guidelines for her next term as European Commission President. In this episode, regular hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone explain how the Political Guidelines might impact European energy and climate policy going forward, offer some of their views and interpretations on the details, and reflect on what insights previous episodes of the 'Policy Briefcase' can provide in understanding the next 5 years of energy and climate policy in the EU. They also point towards future Policy Briefs from the FSR that relate to key themes in von der Leyen's manifesto.The Political Guidelines can be found here: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf
The eighth episode of the ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ breaks down the subject of 'contracts for difference' or 'CfD's' in the renewable electricity sector and explores some of the ways that innovative designs can help accelerate the energy transition.For this episode, regular hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by part-time FSR Professor and full-time DTU Professor, Lena Kitzing. The conversation takes as a point of departure the recent publication of Lena's Technical Report on this subject, co-authored with Anne Held, Malte Gephart, Fabian Wagner, Vasilios Anatolitis, and Corinna Klessmann. This episode builds on our previous two episodes with Leigh Hancher and Jean-Michel Glachant, which focused on different kinds of public and private 'long-term contracts' in general, including CfD's. In this conversation we discuss the history of CfD's, their relationship to other forms of long-term contracts and incentives within the renewable energy space, as well as the role of 'two-sided' CfD's in mitigating the damage of the recent energy crisis. Looking to the future, Lena outlines some other technologies where she feels CfD's might prove useful, including for energy storage, as well as sharing some of her views on potential future design innovations for the renewables sector! The full report can be found here: https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/76700;jsessionid=C6C7EADB8A166005F29DFD28A8AFBB44
The seventh episode of the ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ unpacks the subject of 'long-term contracts' in the electricity sector and explores some of the ways that a fresh look at this tool could help deliver the energy transition.For this episode, regular hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by part-time Professor of FSR Jean-Michel Glachant. The conversation builds on the recent publication of his Technical Report on this subject, co-authored with Guillaume Dezobry, Leigh Hancher, and Emma Menegatti.This episode follows last month's 'part 1' episode recorded with Leigh Hancher on the same subject. Part 2 focuses broadly on the application of long-term contracts, or 'LTCs' as they are more commonly referred to, as well as some of what Jean-Michel considers to be the limitations and unknowns for LTCs and their role in bringing security and competitiveness to European industry. We learn about how LTCs could have helped during the previous energy crisis, and travel back in time even further to 2006 to hear Jean-Michels views on the 'Sector Inquiry' he contributed to at the time, and how those experiences relate to present day.The full report can be found here: cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1…ence=1&isAllowed=y
In this episode we speak to Dr. Sonja Peterson, Senior Researcher at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. We discuss the implications of introducing an EU ETS 2 for buildings and road transport in terms of welfare effects, predicted prices, and the future role of the land use, land use change and forestry sector (LULUCF). The interview was led by Marie Raude and Lea Heinrich, Research Associates at the Climate Team of the Florence School of Regulation, and recorded during the LIFE COASE workshop on the role of carbon markets in reaching carbon neutrality which took place in June 2024.
The sixth episode of the ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ unpacks the subject of 'long-term contracts' in the electricity sector and explores some of the ways that a fresh look at this tool could help deliver the energy transition. For this episode, regular hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by part-time Professor of FSR Leigh Hancher. The conversation builds on the recent publication of her Technical Report on this subject, co-authored with Guillaume Dezobry, Jean-Michel Glachant, and Emma Menegatti. This is part one of a two-part series on this report. This first episode focuses on the definition and relevance of long-term contracts, or 'LTCs' as they are more commonly referred to, as well as some of what Leigh considers to be limitations or missed opportunities in the previous framing and application of these agreements in Europe in the past. We learn about the different kinds of LTCs, their uses, some important case studies shaping their governance, and how some other major global economies have successfully framed LTCs differently. Towards the end of the episode, we begin to talk about the implications of a fresh look at LTCs for driving the competitiveness and decarbonisation of European industry, an area of the report we will cover in more detail in part two next month. The full report can be found here: https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/76880/RSC_TR_2024_05.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
In this episode we spoke to Yan Qin, Lead Carbon Analyst at the London Stock Exchange Group LSEG. We discuss recent trends and drivers of EU carbon prices, interactions between gas and carbon prices and price trends in the Chinese national ETS. The interview was led by Marie Raude and Lea Heinrich, Research Associates at the Climate Team of the Florence School of Regulation. This podcast was recorded in Florence during the EUI Climate Week 2024.
"The fifth instalment of the ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ explores the why, when, and how of carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) in Europe. For this episode, regular hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by part-time Professor of FSR Christopher Jones. The conversation builds on the recent publication of Christopher's Policy Brief on this subject, linked below.CCUS technology and infrastructure has the highest value-add in the period during which Europe is still transitioning from fossil value chains to fully decarbonised value chains. For this reason, it needs to be deployed quickly, often retrofitted to existing industrial facilities. Christopher's Policy Brief presents a tentative vision for how a regulatory framework could be establsihed in time to maximise the effectiveness of CCUS technologies.See below for a link to the original Policy Briefhttps://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/76181;jsessionid=9E2F6DCA9B2A1A82BF25195BD7A0034B"
The fourth instalment of the ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ explores the subject of methane emissions, specifically the establishment of a Methane Regulation in the EU, as well as the increasing attention methane is receiving in the maritime sector, both maritime fuel emissions and leakages from LNG shipments. For this episode, regular hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by Andris Piebalgs of FSR and Maria Olczak of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES), the conversation builds on the pair's recent publication of a Policy Brief on this subject.In a wide-reaching episode, the group discuss the extent of the methane emissions problem and why it has gained so much attention in recent years, the landmark inclusion of methane under the EU ETS, the complexity of regulating in an international sector like maritime, as well as some of the measurement technology used to ensure accountability.See below for a link to the original Policy Briefhttps://www.oxfordenergy.org/publications/the-decarbonisation-of-maritime-transport-navigating-between-a-global-and-eu-approach/
The third instalment of the ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ explores European industrial policy following the energy crisis of 2021/22, specifically the role of clean hydrogen in the protection and continuation of existing energy-intensive industrial sectors as well as in generating new, clean industrial growth. For this episode, regular hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by Ilaria Conti of FSR and Jan Cornillie of the EUI's School of Transnational Governance (STG). The conversation builds on the recent publication of a Policy Brief on this subject, written by Jan, James, Ilaria, and Jos Delbeke. In a wide-reaching episode, the group discuss the state of play with the hydrogen sector in 2024, including the economic conditions, project-level progress, regulatory status, and the importance of capturing the intersectional and nuanced 'value' of clean hydrogen as not only a clean energy vector but also a vector for industrial transformation. See below for a link to the original Policy Brief https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/76564
The second instalment of the ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ with Ellen Beckstedde and Emma Menegatti is a detailed discussion on the energy crisis of 2021/2022. Regular hosts Leonardo Meeus and James Kneebone are joined by electricity market experts Ellen Beckstedde and Emma Menegatti, both Research Associates at the Florence School of Regulation. The conversation covers the context and conditions that created the energy crisis in the first place, the various policy responses at EU and Member State level, as well as the proposed changes to the electricity market design aimed at safeguarding against future crises. Emma and Ellen also answer some listener questions and reflect on a few key outstanding issues for the electricity sector going forward.For more info on FSR's views on policy interventions during the energy crisis, see the links below https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/75089https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/75580
In this episode we speak to Sanjay Patnaik, Director of the Center on Regulation and Markets (CRM), Bernard L. Schwartz Chair in Economic Policy Development, and Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings. We discuss the impact of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, opportunities for joint climate action between the U.S. and the EU, and the impact of climate policy on firm behaviour.The interview was led by Marie Raude and Lea Heinrich, Research Associates at the Climate Team of the Florence School of Regulation.
The first installment of the ‘FSR Policy Briefcase’ features the recent flagship Policy Brief ‘Energy policy ideas for the next European Commission: from targets to investments’ written by some of the most senior researchers at the Florence School of Regulation. Lead author and FSR Director Leonardo Meeus joined Research Associate James Kneebone for a wide-ranging conversation on some of the key ideas in the paper, as well as to reflect on some of the feedback already received. For more information, see the full paper ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/75989Date of recording 24.01.2024
In this podcast episode, we speak to Professor Ignacio Perez-Arriaga, Interim-Director of the African School of Regulation, and Professor Simone Borghesi, Director of the Florence School of Regulation - Climate, about their expectations and assessments of the COP. Live from Dubai they share with us their main highlights and takeaways from the first days of the conference. https://fsr.eui.eu/the-fsr-at-cop28-live-updates/This podcast episode is an initiative of the African School of Regulation and the Florence School of Regulation. The interview was led by Chiara Canestrini, Lea Heinrich and Zita Ohikere.
In this FSR Podcast, Research Associate James Kneebone is joined by Johanna Schiele of DG CLIMA to discuss the recently launched 'European Hydrogen Bank' auction and the European Commission's approach to hydrogen financing moving forwards.Johanna is an auction design expert, and was instrumental in designing and implementing the European Hydrogen Bank, the first EU-wide auctions for renewable hydrogen production, financed via the Innovation Fund. Previous to joining the Commission, Johanna worked in the power sector and as a researcher on auctions and clean tech funding. She holds a BA from Oxford University and an MPA from Harvard University.Learn more about the European Hydrogen Bankhttps://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_23_5982Submit a bid for the auctionhttps://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/programmes/innovfund
In this podcast we interviewed Hannah Lewis, Head of Policy for the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, and Sam Reed, Head of Scope Expansion for the UK Emissions Trading Scheme at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. In this interview we ask our guests about the latest developments in the UK emissions trading system as well as about its potential for future evolution.The interview was led by Marie Raude and Lea Heinrich, Research Associates at the Climate Team of the Florence School of Regulation.
Tune in to our latest podcast episode featuring Marzia Sesini, a Senior Research Associate at the Florence School of Regulation, as she discusses her recent article, "A Bumpy Road to Solidarity: Existing and New Complexities." In this insightful interview, led by Andris Piebalgs, they delve into the vital role of solidarity within the energy sector. They reflect on the challenges posed by an unparalleled energy crisis and examine the necessary adjustments to fortify EU solidarity arrangements.
In this podcast we interviewed Suzana Carp, Deputy Executive Director of Cleantech for Europe. In the interview we ask Suzana about the impact of the EU ETS on investments in clean technologies and the implications of the much-debated Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for the clean technology industry. The interview was led by Marie Raude and Lea Heinrich, Research Associates at the Climate Team of the Florence School of Regulation.
In this podcast we interviewed Prof. Ottmar Edenhofer, Professor of the Economics of Climate Change at the Technical University of Berlin, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and Director of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change in Berlin (MCC). In this interview we ask Prof. Edenhofer about the social implications of the EU ETS II and about the Social Climate Fund. One take-away is that using the ETS revenues for social compensation will be key to sustain public support for carbon pricing.
The interview was led by Marie Raude and Lea Heinrich, Research Associates at the Climate Team of the Florence School of Regulation.
In this podcast, we asked Vassilis Sakas and Konstantinos Kotsalo (European Dynamics), what has already been achieved with Work Package 6, the main challenges faced, the main requirements they have identified for the decentralized middleware layer, and what solutions have been adopted to develop it. The overall objective of this WP is to set the basis of the work to be done in the ONENET proposal. That is to say, it will look back to the market solutions and digital platforms presented so far in the EU pilot projects, revisit European policy frameworks, summarize their contributions and benefits, and build on this information to sketch the new products and business use cases proposed in the ONENET approach. These products and business use cases will engage strongly the consumers in order to maximize the flexibility resources that the grid operators can use to meet the clean energy challenges. The differences among EU markets will be reviewed and specific priorities for KPIs, Scalability and Replicability of Onenet solutions will be devised in order to enable the pan-EU integration of these new services and products digitally procured for system operation.
Read more about OneNet project: https://onenet-project.eu/
In this podcast, we interviewed Stefano De Clara, Head of Secretariat at the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP). ICAP is an international forum for governments and public authorities that have implemented or are planning to implement emissions trading systems (ETS). Every year ICAP publishes a Status Report describing the latest developments in emissions trading around the world and in this episode, we speak about the latest Status Report of 2023. One key take-away is that carbon markets have shown much resilience in the past year, despite the global energy crisis.
The interview was led by Marie Raude and Lea Heinrich, Research Associates at the Climate Team of the Florence School of Regulation.
One year after the first episode with Milan Elkerbout from CEPS (see link below), this new episode continues the discussion with him. The interview focuses on the reform of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) agreed upon by the European Parliament and the Council in December 2022 and the extent to which the energy crisis and the high carbon prices affected the political deal reached. Milan Elkerbout (CEPS) works as a Research Fellow and Head of the climate policy programme at CEPS, a think tank in Brussels. His research focuses on EU climate policy, particularly the EU ETS. Albert Ferrari, a Research Associate at FSR Climate, interviewed him. The two questions covered in the podcast are: - the most significant changes in the reform of the EU emissions trading system in the Fit for 55 Package; - the growing concern about carbon prices' distributional impacts and acceptability and how to tackle this issue.
More info: - Elkerbout M. (2021), A tale of two prices: What higher energy costs and the ETS price mean for a just transition, CEPS Policy Insights n°2021-13: https://www.ceps.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PI2021-13_Energy-costs-and-ETS-price.pdf - What role for the EU ETS in the European Green Deal? | Milan Elkerbout (CEPS); Podcast episode Spot on Climate https://soundcloud.com/fsregulation-energy-and-climate/what-role-for-the-eu-ets-in-the-european-green-deal-milan-elkerbout-ceps - Project LIFE COASE: https://fsr.eui.eu/life-coase-project/
In this FSR Podcast, research associate James Kneebone is joined by Ronnie Belmans for a deep dive on some of the nuanced issues surrounding the integration of 'clean molecules' into the EU's energy system.
Ronnie has more than 40 years of experience in the energy sector, including as a professor at KU Leuven, co-founder and former CEO of EnergyVille as well as advisor here to the Florence School of Regulation. He was also chair of the board for Elia and the Flemish energy regulator. Ronnie’s work focuses on techno-economical aspects of power systems, electrical energy and regulatory affairs, as well as smart grids, and security of energy supply.
In this wide-ranging conversation, James and Ronnie discuss everything from the difference between renewable hydrogen as an end in itself and the finished products we need it to produce, to the relationship between electrification and bioenergy. Ronnie also reflects on the tension between the economic and industrial imperative to push for the scale-up of a clean tech sector and the implications for the cost and sustainability of our energy system. Finally, the pair look at some of the social and planning implications of the build-out of large-scale clean molecule value chains, including the issue of 'NIMBY' and even 'NUMBYism', as well as the potential health and safety risks associated with storing and handling millions of tonnes of often poisonous and volatile products."
If you want to learn more about the "clean molecules" visit: https://fsr.eui.eu/course/clean-molecules-for-the-energy-transition/
In this podcast, Andris Piebalgs (FSR) interviews Andrei Belyi (University of Eastern Finland) the author of the article: "Gazprom's gas exit".
In this podcast, Carlos Batlle (FSR Part-time Professor and Visiting Scientist at MIT) explores what a just energy transition in the EU means.This podcast is part of the EU Green Deal online course – 2022 edition. To learn more about the course, please visit: https://fsr.eui.eu/course/the-eu-green-deal/The next edition is taking place on 18 April - 4 July 2023
The energy transition requires a more flexible electricity system in terms of energy production and consumption. One of the most relevant challenges of the transition is the increase in computational costs for system management. To keep the system balanced, system operators have to forecast and manage an increasing share of energy production from variable energy sources. The role of demand-side flexibility will also play an increasing role. In this podcast, Luciana Marques (VITO) and Daniele Stampatori (EUI) explore the importance of computational tools to face these emerging challenges and opportunities.Read more about OneNet project: https://onenet-project.eu/
In this podcast, we asked Ferdinando Bosco (Engineering), what has already been achieved with Work Package 5, the main challenges faced, and how OneNet can contribute to create a common EU architecture for designing interoperable data exchange solutions.The objectives for this WP are twofold:1) to design an open conceptual architecture for effective yet seamless operation of a smarter pan-European electricity system where market and network technical operations are coordinated closer to real time among them and across countries2) to provide requirements, functional and technical specifications, together with interoperable and standardizable interfaces for an open scalable decentralized interconnection of platform, technology agnostic adaptable and flexible IT reference architecture which fully support the OneNet concept and provides the necessary backbone for the WP6 subsequent implementation of the OneNet data sovereignty-preserving working space.Read more about OneNet project: https://onenet-project.eu/
In this podcast, we asked Anastasis Tzoumpas (Ubitech), what has already been achieved with Work Package 2, the main challenges faced, and how OneNet can contribute to harmonising the EU electricity markets.The overall objective of this WP is to set the basis of the work to be done in the ONENET proposal. That is to say, it will look back to the market solutions and digital platforms presented so far in the EU pilot projects, revisit European policy frameworks, summarize their contributions and benefits and build on this information to sketch the new products and business use cases proposed in the ONENET approach. These products and business use cases will engage strongly the consumers in order to maximize the flexibility resources that the grid operators can use to meet the clean energy challenges. The differences among EU markets will be reviewed and specific priorities for KPIs, Scalability and Replicability of Onenet solutions will be devised in order to enable the pan-EU integration of these new services and products digitally procured for system operation.Read more about OneNet project: https://onenet-project.eu/
Energy transition is known as 3D transition, where 3D stands for decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation. Digitalisation is the way to enable the power system to manage distributed production and demand flexibility. New opportunities and challenges are emerging along the entire electricity supply chain.In this podcast, Natalie Samovich (Resilientgroup, SB AIOTI, chair WG energy Portugal) and Daniele Stampatori (EUI) shed some light on the main features of a ‘data-centred’ power system and the contributions the OneNet project can provide.Read more about OneNet project: https://onenet-project.eu/
In this fourth episode of the “Transport 4 Future” series, host Prof. Juan Montero sits down for a discussion with Rolf Diemer, Head of Unit Economic Analysis and Better Regulation at the European Commission’s DG MOVE, to discuss the main findings of the Commission’s newly published study on New Mobility Patterns in European Cities. What is the main motivation behind this study and what is its scope? Are there indications we are breaking away from the predominant reliance on private cars for urban and short distance passenger mobility? What are the study’s findings when it comes to new mobility modes, such as various forms of active and shared mobility? What are some of the national front runners and best practices on the urban mobility front? What is the current state of play in Europe when it comes to transitioning to cleaner fleets in logistics? What are the main challenges to shifting to cleaner vehicles?Tune in for the answers to these questions and more!
In this short interview, James Kneebone of the Florence School of Regulation is joined by ENTSOG's Regulatory Affairs Manager Patricia Orglerova to discuss the new 'Hydrogen Infrastructure Map'.➡️ ➡️ ➡️ www.h2inframap.eu/ Patricia gives an overview on the functionalities of the interactive map, the objectives behind its delivery, and the processes for collecting data. The pair reflect on the general progress and bottlenecks for the build of the sector towards 2030, 2040, and 2050, as well as Patricia's experience working on this project as part of an all-female team.The map represents a joint effort between ENTSOG, GIE, Eurogas, CEDEC, GD4S, and GEODE, in cooperation with European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) Initiative, as mandated by the European Commission at the 36th Madrid Forum. The first iteration of the map builds on work done under the EHB, hydrogen transmission projects collected under the biennial Ten Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) 2022, as well as projects submitted by stakeholders who are part of this initiative. Date of recording 15.12.2022
Laima Eicke is an Associate and former Research Fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center. Her research focuses on the decarbonisation pathways of countries worldwide, value chains of renewable energy technologies, and how both affect geopolitics. At the Belfer Center, Laima specifically focuses on green hydrogen. Laima is also a Research Associate at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam. She also gained work experience at the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Germany Ministry for International Affairs, two NGOs and in consultancy. Laima is a passionate observer and youth advocate in international climate negotiations
In this brief podcast, Research Associate Sofia Nicolai breaks down the Cover the Basics article on REMIT, in which we try to answer the questions: what is REMIT? Why do we need an EU framework for wholesale energy market transparency and integrity? Which obligations and prohibitions are set by REMIT and who is subject to them? Read more at https://fsr.eui.eu/eu-regulation-on-wholesale-energy-market-integrity-and-transparency-remit/
In this podcast, Guillaume Dezobry, partner at Fidal and senior lecturer in public law at Université d'Amiens, discusses two cases of unavailability of power plants in France and the consequences under the EU Regulation on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (REMIT). He interviews Alexandra Bonhomme, director of the legal department at Commission de Régulation de l´Énergie (CRE), and Emeric de Vigan, Vice-President Power at Kepler Analytics, to understand the details of the two cases and the respective legal outcomes. The first case relates to the EDF group and to the unavailability of a nuclear plant; the second one relates to Engie and to the outage of a gas-fired power plant.
In this short interview, James Kneebone of the Florence School of Regulation is joined by co-founder of Bioflux, Paul Préaux, to discuss innovation in the drive to decarbonise the EU energy and waste systems. Paul gives an overview of his work with biomass pyrolysis and how this technology is being applied to valorise waste streams for the production of energy, heat, and useful biochar. The pair explore some of the challenges for innovation in this space, where best-practices are already being shared, and how the prevailing energy trilemma (security, sustainability, and price) has created a fresh imperative for policy to be more dynamic and to move quickly.
In this third episode of the “Transport 4 Future” series, host Prof. Juan Montero sits down for a discussion with Alberto Mazzola, Executive Director of the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER), on the key challenges to establishing seamless cross-border passenger rail travel across Europe. Their conversation touches upon a range of topics pertaining to timetables, ticketing, the provision of real-time information about disruption and delays, as well as more technical issues linked to standardisation and data protection.
What are railway undertakings currently doing when it comes to digitalisation? What is being done in order to make timetables more widely and quickly available both at the national and international level? What are the main challenges ahead to rendering ticketing, and in particular through ticketing, available across different platforms? What is the role of digital tools in providing real-time information during journey disruptions and delays? What are the main differences between the Agreement on Journey Continuation and the HOTNAT (hop on the next available train) Agreement? How can we ensure that passengers are equipped with all necessary tools to proceed with journey continuation in cases of disruption?
Tune in to this podcast for the answers to these questions and more!
In the past year, several crises have emerged and posed important challenges to the European Union. The impact of energy shortages is aggravated by problems in the supply of raw materials, manufactured components and, finally, by the war in Ukraine. In this podcast, FSR Director, Jean-Michel Glachant, and CEO of the European Climate Foundation, Laurence Tubiana, share their thoughts with Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) after the launching of the joint policy manifesto, “Between crises and decarbonization: realigning EU climate and energy policy for a new State of the World”. Glachant and Tubiana are crystal-clear that energy security and climate security are not two contrasting goals, but the new “State of the World”. In this new world, EU has to rethink its strategy and decision making to prepare a systemic change involving all its citizens beyond traditional stakeholders.
➡️ To watch the recording of the launching event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkrSpu3LXW8
➡️ To read the policy manifesto https://fsr.eui.eu/publications/?handle=1814/74737
This episode of the podcast series Spot on Climate centres on the reform of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) presented in the Fit for 55 Package, aiming at “Delivering the European Green Deal”. The interview with Milan Elkerbout from CEPS, a think tank in Brussels, aims to better understand the role of the European carbon market in supporting the EU to become carbon neutral by 2050. Until now, the EU ETS has been the cornerstone of the European climate policy, but to what extent will this persist? In July 2021, the European Commission proposed an extension of the scope and several amendments to the EU ETS functioning, along with other significant reforms such as the introduction of a border carbon adjustment.
Milan Elkerbout (CEPS) works as a Research Fellow in the Energy, Resources and Climate Change Unit. His research focuses on EU climate policy, in particular the EU ETS. He was interviewed by Albert Ferrari, a Research Associate at FSR Climate. The main questions covered in the podcast are: - the most significant changes in the reform of the EU emissions trading system in the Fit for 55 Package; - the implementation of the second ETS covering the emissions associated with fuel combustion in the sectors of road transport and building; - the growing concern about the acceptability of carbon prices and how to tackle this issue; - the proposed carbon border adjustment mechanism impacts on the EU ETS and carbon market integration.
More info: - CEPS publications: https://www.ceps.eu/ceps-publications/?filter_units=26 - Project LIFE DICET: https://lifedicetproject.eui.eu/
In this second episode of the “Transport 4 Future” series, host Prof. Juan Montero sits down for a discussion with Roelof Hellemans, Secretary General of the MaaS Alliance, on the trending topic of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS). How do we define MaaS? Are there different types of MaaS solutions? What are the main benefits of empowering the traveler, which, in turn, is a guiding principle of MaaS? What are the main obstacles to the rollout of MaaS solutions? What role for public authorities, and which should be the leading actors in the transition (i.e., municipalities, transport service providers, platforms)? Where are we headed and what are the long-term requirements for MaaS to take-off? What are the latest MaaS developments across the world? Tune in to find out what the future of mobility holds!
This podcast focuses on the Commission’s state aid decision on the Belgian capacity mechanism from August 2021 and highlights the key legal aspects of the case. This case is a recent one in a long line of Commission’s state aid decisions on capacity mechanisms but it contains several novel features.
It involves an assessment of whether the capacity mechanism complies with the 2019 Electricity Regulation and illustrates how the European Commission conducts the balancing of the positive and negative assessments of a proposed measure in anticipation of the new state aid guidelines for climate, energy and environment (CEEAG) which came into force in January 2022. It is also the only case so far where the Commission deals with the complexities of avoiding so-called carbon lock-in effects.
This podcast is about the replicability of the project LIFE DICET in other policy areas at the European level. It focuses on how the European Union (EU) and its Member States could successfully extend emission trading to other sectors, such as fuel combustion for buildings and road transport, and how a project like LIFE DICET could help tackle this challenge.
In the podcast, Albert Ferrari from FSR Climate converses with Michael Pahle (PIK Potsdam) about LIFE DICET and the German experience to create an emission trading system (ETS) for the sectors of buildings and road transport. This discussion feeds into the current debates on a possible second EU ETS for these sectors, as proposed by the European Commission in the Fit For 55 Package.
Michael Pahle leads the Working Group on Energy and Climate Policy at PIK Potsdam, and he also is an active member of the LIFE DICET Core Expert Group. In 2021, he co-authored for Bruegel a policy contribution in favour of “A whole-economy carbon price for Europe and how to get there”.
The project LIFE DICET is co-financed by the EU LIFE Programme. It supports the EU and the Member States in the development and possible integration of carbon markets with five other ETS regulators, namely China, California, Québec, New Zealand and Switzerland.
More info: - Project LIFE DICET: https://lifedicetproject.eui.eu/ - Edenhofer, O., M. Kosch, M. Pahle and G. Zachmann (2021) ‘A whole-economy carbon price for Europe and how to get there’, Policy Contribution 06/2021, Bruegel https://www.bruegel.org/2021/03/a-whole-economy-carbon-price-for-europe-and-how-to-get-there/
In this first episode of FSR Transport’s new podcast series ‘Transport 4 Future’ host Prof. Juan Montero speaks with Bertil Hylén, Scientific Advisor of FSR Transport about EU railway regulation and policy in relation to passenger rail services. Having closely witnessed the reform of EU railway acquis over the past 30 years, Bertil reflects on the factors behind the limited progress achieved in many Member States and shares his take on the possible ways forward. What are the necessary preconditions for the completion of the reform process in the rail sector? Has public financing been conducive of efficiency in terms of targeting the necessary rail services? Can international cross-border rail services play a greater role in Europe and should the EU be supporting their development? What about night train services? Can Rail Freight Corridors effectively boost the share of international rail freight services or is there a need for a greater degree of EU coordination? Can complex cross-border services be tendered as regular public service obligations? Is it possible to coordinate tenders across different Member States?
In this episode of the ‘On The Move’ series Teodora Serafimova, Research Associate at the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation, is joined by Delphine Grandsart, Senior Researcher at the European Passengers’ Federation, an international non-profit association representing Europe’s major passenger organisations and the interests of travellers at the EU level.
What is the most desired instrument to curb emissions from road transport? What is the sort of information passengers should be provided with to induce them to opt for journeys with lower environmental footprints? What is the best way to facilitate the provision of such information to passengers, while avoiding greenwashing? What are some of the main hurdles in the way to establishing a common multimodal framework for ticketing and passenger rights? How can MaaS benefit passengers, and how has COVID-19 affected its future development? Are the current Commission guidelines for State aid in the aviation sector fit-for-purpose? What should be the guiding principles and criteria behind the allocation of State aid in the aviation sector?
Tune in to this podcast for some insightful reflections on these questions from the passengers’ standpoint!
On 15 December 2021 at 6th AIEE Energy Symposium, the FSR Director, Jean-Michel Glachant gave a presentation from the title “Towards flexible energy systems on the demand side: Markets & Regulation”. Professor Glachant has been elected President-elect 2022 of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE) to start from January 2022. To learn more about IAEE: https://www.iaee.org/
In this episode of the On The Right Track podcast series, host Juan Montero, Part-time Professor at the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation, is joined by Veronika Haunold, European and International Affairs Manager at the Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB, in discussing the role of railways in driving the decarbonisation of the transport sector.
What can railways do to support transport decarbonisation? What are the necessary measures to support the Commission’s modal shift objectives in relation to passenger rail? How can we meet passengers’ need for intermodal door-to-door connectivity? How can digitalisation boost multimodality? What is ÖBB doing in respect to night train services? What are the main obstacles to modal shift in freight transport? How can digital tools help to resolve these? Are railways “green” enough? Listen to their full conversation to get the answers to these questions
In this 5th episode of the ‘On The Move’ series Teodora Serafimova, Research Associate at the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation, speaks with Mitra Qurban, Director for Public Policy and EU Affairs at Deutsche Post DHL (DPDHL), the world’s largest logistics company.
DHL Group recently announced plans to accelerate the pace of its decarbonisation to achieve climate-neutral logistics by the year 2030. In the episode, Mitra elaborates on the concrete measures DPDHL is implementing to reduce the footprint of its operations in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
How does the company ensure that its operations, which are being outsourced to third-party providers, meet minimal environmental quality standards? What are the main challenges to establishing a common framework for the harmonised measurement of transport and logistics-related greenhouse gas emissions? Does the Commission’s ReFuelEU Aviation proposal suffice to scale up the production of zero-emission sustainable aviation fuels and place aviation on a path to climate neutrality? What are the main obstacles to moving goods away from road transport onto cleaner modes like railways and boosting the share of sustainable multimodal transport in Europe? How can the upcoming revision of the Combined Transport Directive help overcome these? Tune in to their conversation and get the answers to these questions!
Read the main conclusions of the 8th Florence Intermodal Forum on the Greening of European Cargo Operations here: https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/72264
With the European Year of Rail being halfway through, host Juan Montero, Part-time Professor at the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation is joined by François Davenne, Director General of the International Union of Railways (UIC), as they take stock of progress achieved to date. What is the role of technology in increasing the modal share of rail in the passenger segment? What is UIC doing in terms of using technology to facilitate better interaction between the different industry players? Can technology improve the reliability of cross-border rail freight services and thereby help to boost the modal share of rail freight? Is the current regulatory framework conducive towards more efficient cross-border services, or will a stronger EU involvement in cross-border traffic management be necessary? Is the recent revival of night train services in Europe here to stay? Tune in to their conversation to learn more.
This is a podcast about the replicability of the project LIFE DICET in other policy areas. It focuses on the development of a new mechanism of the Paris Agreement called internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs).
In the podcast, Albert Ferrari from FSR Climate converses with Suzi Kerr about the replication and extension of LIFE DICET to foster cooperative approaches around ITMOs and the creation of climate teams. Suzi, Chief Economist of the Environmental Defense Fund, is an active member of the LIFE DICET Core Expert Group. She leads the project Climate Teams that aims to set up a new mechanism for international climate cooperation.
The project LIFE DICET is co-financed by the EU LIFE Programme. It aims to support the EU and the Member States in international cooperation to develop and integrate carbon markets with five other ETS regulators, namely China, California, Québec, New Zealand and Switzerland.
More info: https://lifedicetproject.eui.eu/ https://climateteams.org/
In this podcast, Professors Kim Talus (Universities of Tulane, Eastern Finland and Helsinki), Dirk Buschle (Energy Community Secretariat, College of Europe), and Leigh Hancher (FSR, Tilburg University, and Baker Botts LLP) discuss the impact that the CJEU's recent recognition of energy solidarity as a justiciable principle of EU law will have on the future of EU energy law and policy.
This podcast episode discusses the European Commission’s State aid decision to open a formal investigation procedure with regards to the German lignite phase-out plans, which were passed with the coal phase-out law of 2020. The episode highlights the doubts expressed by the Commission in its opening decision and also touches upon possible additional doubts on some of the other assessment criteria that will have to be addressed by the Commission’s formal investigation. The podcast also touches upon the new section in the Commission’s draft Climate, Environmental and Energy Aid Guidelines, on aid for the early closure of coal plants and its provisions on compensation for such closure.
This podcast from the Gas and Climate area of the Florence School of Regulation is part of the series "IAEE online conference: Energy, Covid, and Climate Change". In this instalment, James Kneebone of FSR is joined by Marina Holgado of the International Energy Agency (IEA) technical collaboration programme (TCP) secretariat for hydrogen.
The podcast explores the outcomes of the IAEE online conference session 'Power-to-Hydrogen and Hydrogen-to-X' as well as the wider work of the TCP, through the following questions:
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What is the Hydrogen TCP and more specifically 'Task 38'? What can our viewers learn from Task 38 results?
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One of the main conclusions in Task 38 was that hydrogen was not being well represented in energy modelling scenarios, in your view, why was that? Has this changed?
This is a podcast of the series "Spot on Climate" of the Climate area of the Florence School of Regulation. In this podcast, Albert FERRARI discusses with Axel Michaelowa, Head of the Group on "International Climate Policy" at the University of Zurich and leading expert in the design of the market mechanisms of the Paris Agreement and the Kyoto Protocol.
The podcast episode explores how can we ensure that international carbon markets are in line with the long-term target of the Paris Agreement through three questions: - what relevance will have the issue of double-counting in the upcoming talks about the Rulebook on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement? - how could Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) linking contribute to the achievement of the Paris objectives? - how can carbon markets, especially the market-based mechanism under the Paris Agreement, fit in the Architecture established at the COP21, given the diversity of nature and targets in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)?
Following the plenary session on “The future energy mix” of the 1st IAEE Online Conference, Piero Carlo dos Reis interviewed Prof. Keigo Akimoto (RITE), who chaired this session, in order to ask him about his main reflections. Prof. Keigo explained that the future energy mix will be largely driven by a wide range of technological innovations in both energy supply side and demand side aiming at deep GHG emissions reduction (e.g., renewables, batteries, negative emissions technologies …). However, Prof. Keigo believes that it will be challenging to coordinate deep emissions reduction across several countries at different economic growth stages, some prioritising cheap energy costs for their energy-intensive industries, others implementing carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAMs). Ultimately, if we wish to achieve deep emissions reduction worldwide, we have to make an effort to have both a good coordination among countries and clean technological innovations leading to cheap energy costs.
In the slipstream of the concluding plenary session on the future of the energy system, Tim Schittekatte interviews Christophe Bonnery who chaired the session to ask him about his main reflections. Bonnery explains that in order to meet our netzero goals we can expect more government intervention in supporting the investment in new power generation. Also, Bonnery emphasizes that not only increased deployment of renewables are key in the green transition but that there is also an important role for the distribution system operator to act as an enabler of a greener, more decentralized power system.
Nuclear energy is a low-carbon energy source that could play an important role in the decarbonisation of the energy sector and provide additional benefits in terms of local employment and security of supply. However, the development of nuclear energy, at least in Western countries, has been limited in the past few years. The industry is ready to do its part but invites governments to make clear decisions and provide a level playing field where nuclear can compete with other capital-intensive and low-carbons sources. Innovations like small-scale reactors and combined heat and power provision could improve the economics and the financiability of nuclear investments. At the same time, it is essential to plan for the long-term and preserve in countries like France the existing supply chain with all its skills and competencies so that new reactors can be delivered timely and cost-competitively over the next decades The afternoon parallel session of the 1st IAEE Online Conference addressed these topics on 9 June 2021. In this interview/podcast, Nicolò Rossetto (Florence School of Regulation) and Michel Berthélemy (OECD – NEA) discuss the main takeaways.
Prof Anna Creti and I discuss what are the key issues raised while addressing SDG7 targets. Are we ready ? Do we have the data and evidence to make informed decisions ? What would be an appropriate framework to tackle the issue at the distribution end? What lessons can be learnt from experiences on the ground? Follow the podcast to know what the panellist had to say about these questions
On Tuesday, 8 June 2021, the 1st IAEE Online Conference, the Morning Parallel Session 2.1 on ‘Energy access around the world’ took place. The session was presided by Prof. Anna Creti, Université Paris-Dauphine.
The panellists were
- Prof. Jörg Peters, Research with Impact - RWI, ESSEN
- Prof. Ignacio Pérez-Arriaga, MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society-
- Assistant Prof. Federico Pontoni, Bocconi University
On Tuesday, 8 June 2021, the 1st IAEE Online Conference, the Parallel Session 2.1 on ‘Energy Transition and Local Governance’ took place. The session was presided by Michael Pollitt (University of Cambridge). The panellists were Marianne Laigneau (Enedis), Matthew E. Kahn (University of Southern California), Anna Alberini, (University of Maryland) and Michael Caramanis (Boston University).
This podcast was created as a part of the FSR’s Lights on Women initiative in joint partnership with Inter-American Development Bank under the Lights on Women LAC Edition series.
The Caribbean region has a growing renewable energy sector that is adding close to half a million jobs and skills globally each year. At the same time the prices of renewable sources such as wind and solar are dropping, as are technologies like batteries, and governments see a golden opportunity here.
In this podcast, Dr Malaika Masson is a Senior Regional Energy Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). discuss these opportunities and challenges ahead for the Caribbean region in our latest podcast.
Dr Malaika Masso Bio She brings 15 years of experience bridging governance and institutional policy with transformative investments in the energy sector. She currently manages the IDB energy portfolios for Jamaica and Bahamas, focusing on integrated resource planning, investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency and alternative fuels for transport. Prior to joining the IDB, Malaika worked for 9 years on public private partnerships and extractive industry governance within the UK Government, Chatham House, and Shell Group and served on public boards. Malaika received a Ph.D. in 2003 in Management Studies from Cambridge Judge Business School, Cambridge University.
Podcast Series "Energy Transition – the Commission’s State aid decisions on the Dutch and German coal phase-out laws"
This podcast episode discusses the European Commission’s State aid decision concerning Germany’s coal phase-out law of 2020, in particular its auction mechanism to compensate operators for hard coal closures. The episode highlights some criticalities in the decision and also touches upon the outcome of the first two auction rounds.
Podcast Series "Energy Transition – the Commission’s State aid decisions on the Dutch and German coal phase-out laws"
This podcast episode addresses the European Commission’s State aid decision regarding the Dutch coal phase-out law passed in 2019. Starting with the landmark Urgenda judgment in the background of the Dutch coal phase-out law, it discusses the details of the Commission’s decision concerning the compensation granted by The Netherlands to Vattenfall for the early closure of its Hemweg plant.
In this episode, Michele Azalbert, CEO of Engie Hydrogen Business Unit, joins Joana Freitas to discuss the role of green hydrogen in the energy transition. Green hydrogen has created quite the buzz. From the European Commission's ambitious roadmap for green hydrogen until 2050 to US President Joe Biden's promise to use renewable energy to produce green hydrogen. Other countries like Chile, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Australia are also announcing major investments in green hydrogen. Michele Azalbert sees hydrogen “as the missing link of the energy transition” as it would enable to store large quantities of renewables over a long period and to decarbonize several sectors, as industry, transport, construction and energy. Despite several false starts, hydrogen is gathering strong momentum as a key energy transition pillar. “Clearly, it is not the first time neither the second time hydrogen has been talked about, but we think this time seems to be different. Green hydrogen is not yet competitive. Today we are in the same kind of context, same momentum as we were 10 years ago with regard to Solar PV”. As Michele Azalbert starts to mention, green hydrogen emerges as an opportunity to decarbonize the hard-to-abate sectors. However, in the EU, the current estimated costs for brown hydrogen are around 1.5 €/kg, while green hydrogen costs around 2.5-5.5 €/kg. This competitiveness gap has been raising concerns on the financial sustainability of green hydrogen as a solution. In Azalbert’s perspective, “we have to go all together at scale now”, working both on the supply and demand side. Although the production of green hydrogen is not still economically viable, several energy companies are reinforcing their investments in electrolysers and green hydrogen facilities. Michele Azalbert touches on the specific case of Engie to explain: “The market is not yet there. Technical solutions are not yet available at scale and the customer is maybe not today willing to pay. However, at the level of Engie, we see ourselves as a hydrogen economy enabler. We need to activate the market.”
This is a podcast of the series "Spot on Climate" of the Climate area of the Florence School of Regulation. In this podcast, Research Associate Albert FERRARI discusses with Andrei MARCU, Founder and Executive Director of the European Roundtable on Climate Change and Sustainable Transition (ERCST). Andrei has been one of the corporate-sector pioneers in the area of climate change and carbon markets. ERCST leads an Informal Forum on Implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which brings together negotiators in an informal discussion to contribute towards arriving at a common understanding in view of achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
This episode focuses on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, through a discussion on these issues: - The different ways in which the Parties to the Paris Agreement can engage in international cooperation under Article 6, - The stumbling blocks of the negotiation process in view of reaching an agreement on the Paris Rulebook, - The roles the UK and Italy could play in clearing the way for an agreement at the next COP26, - The implications of Article 6 for the linking of Emissions Trading Systems.
Visit ERCST Library on Article 6 https://ercst.org/article-6-library-2/ Read the IETA, UMD and CPLC Report https://www.ieta.org/resources/International_WG/Article6/CLPC_A6%20report_no%20crops.pdf, September 2019
In this episode of the ‘On The Move’ series Teodora Serafimova, Research Associate at the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation speaks with Ana Salazar, Head of Sustainability Division at AENA, the world’s largest airport operator in terms of passenger traffic.
Despite the fact that aviation is one of the sectors worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, AENA last year announced a new climate strategy pledging to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, which is ten years ahead of the target set by the Airports Council International (ACI) Europe. What were the main drivers behind AENA’s climate strategy? What concrete measures is AENA implementing to reduce its CO2 and environmental footprint? What are some of the regulatory and financing gaps in the current EU framework that would need to be closed to enable airports to act as ‘enablers’ for the broader decarbonisation of the aviation value chain, including airlines? Listen to their conversation for answers to these questions!
Read the main conclusions of the 14th Florence Air Forum on the Role of Airports in the European Green Deal here: https://fsr.eui.eu/publications/?handle=1814/69636
In its Order on 20 May 2020 the General Court in Nord Stream 2 v Parliament and Council ruled the application inadmissible. The case raises some important questions as to the standing requirements for private persons directly challenging EU acts before the EU courts.
It appears that the main reason for refusal to grant the appellant standing to directly challenge the amendments to the 2009 Gas Market Directive stems from the fact that the EU act under challenge is a Directive that requires implementation at national level. This in turn, according to the General Court, implies that there is no ‘direct concern’.
Nord Stream 2 v Parliament and Council is a case that turns largely on its facts and it may be that the General Court’s approach does not take this into consideration. This is a case where the intended effect of the amendment is to complicate one project, Nord Stream 2, and leave other comparable import pipelines unaffected.
This podcast will examine the Order of the General Court and provide certain degree of criticism to the approach taken by the Court. The podcast is based on an OGEL article that is available here:
https://www.ogel.org/journal-advance-publication-article.asp?key=678
This is a podcast of the series "Spot on Climate" of the Climate area of the Florence School of Regulation. In this podcast, Research Associate Albert FERRARI continues the conversation with Peter VIS, Senior Advisor at Rud Pedersen Public Affairs and Senior Research Associate at the School of Transnational Governance. This second episode focuses on the design and implementation of the upcoming EU proposal for Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), through a discussion on these two questions:
- What advice would you give to the European Commission in developing its proposal?
- Under what conditions could we do without it?
The European Commission will be presenting in June 2021 a proposal for a CBAM for certain imported products to reduce the risk of carbon leakage, which is the risk of companies transferring production to countries that are less strict about emissions. With a CBAM, the price of imports would reflect more accurately their carbon content. This would ensure that the EU’s climate objectives are not undermined by production relocating to countries with less ambitious policies.
Read the STG Policy Brief "A way forward for a carbon border adjustment mechanism by the EU", Jos DELBEKE, Peter VIS, 2020, Cadmus https://cadmus.eui.eu//handle/1814/69155 Catch up on the previous episode with Peter VIS on the rationale and challenges of the CBAM: https://soundcloud.com/fsregulation-energy-and-climate/spot-on-climate-episode-1/s-enD0S62pN5J
In this third episode of the ‘On The Right Track’ podcast series, Juan Montero, Professor at the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation speaks with Dr. Marco Kampp, Director of International Long-Distance Passenger Transport at Deutsche Bahn about the existing barriers and necessary solutions to boost the share of international long-distance passenger services in Europe.
What does Deutsche Bahn expect from the European Year of Rail and what is the company doing in regards to increasing rail ridership across the continent? What are the legal, commercial and technical barriers, which hinder international rail passenger services? What kind of framework conditions will be necessary to ensure that investments channeled towards railways are fruitful and help to advance the EU’s modal shift objectives? What is the role of increased harmonisation at both the technical and economic levels for the provision of international long-distance passenger services? In view of the COVID-19 crisis, what are the most urgently needed regulatory measures in the rail sector? Listen to their full conversation for answers to these questions and more!
Zoë Knight, Managing Director and Group Head of the HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance, shares her thoughts on the role of the Finance sector in the net-zero transition with Joana Freitas, Ambassador for the FSR Lights on Women initiative. The financial sector’s role in the global response to climate change will entail not only accelerating low carbon investments but also supporting the transition of carbon-intensive sectors. When it comes to investments in green renewable generation, investors’ appetites seem to exceed the volume of investable projects. Knight identifies a variety of reasons, highlighting that the “risk assessment for how strong the investment will contribute to solving climate goals isn't truly reflected yet”. On the other hand, the hard-to-abate sectors, including industry, heavy-duty transport and agriculture, account for around 40% of greenhouse gas emissions but still attract limited investment. In Knight's perspective, companies need to clearly demonstrate what their climate strategy is. In addition, green financial instruments, such as green bonds and sustainability-linked bonds, also have a significant role in the decarbonisation pathway. These types of instruments work as a transparency mechanism allowing investors to be clear on what the proceeds are going to be used for. Although the issuance of green bonds has been growing quickly, in 2020 it only represented 5% of the market. “There’s plenty of work to do from this labelled finance aspect because we need to drive so much capital towards low carbon outcomes”, Knight says. Governments may also signal to investors that they are taking their climate plans seriously by issuing green financial instruments. Knight considers that these initiatives are “a really powerful backdrop for privately-held corporates to be able to also be transparent about their financing as well”.
In this second episode of the ‘On The Right Track’ podcast series, Juan Montero, Professor at the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation speaks with Alberto Mazzola, Executive Director at the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER), about the railway industry’s expectations in terms of EU regulatory developments during the European Year of Rail.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the railway industry and how does this translate into the sector’s expectations for the European Year of Rail? What measures are necessary to increase the modal share of rail passenger services? Can competition help to increase ridership and achieve the European Green Deal objectives for rail? Could Europe experience the return of the night trains, which have seen increasing popularity during the pandemic as a substitute for short haul flights? Is the EU regulatory approach to night trains an experiment or a policy that is here to stay? What are the reasons behind the stagnating modal share of rail freight services in the EU, and what measures should be implemented to reverse the trend? Listen to their full conversation for some answers to these questions!
This is the first podcast of the series "Spot on Climate" of the Climate area of the Florence School of Regulation. In this podcast, Research Associate Albert FERRARI converses with Peter VIS, Senior Advisor at Rud Pedersen Public Affairs and Senior Research Associate at the School of Transnational Governance. This first episode focuses on the rationale and the challenges behind the possible Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) through a discussion on these two questions:
- What is the case for a CBAM?
- How might it work?
The European Commission will be presenting in June 2021 a proposal for a CBAM for certain imported products to reduce the risk of carbon leakage, which is the risk of companies transferring production to countries that are less strict about emissions. With a CBAM, the price of imports would reflect more accurately their carbon content. This would ensure that the EU’s climate objectives are not undermined by production relocating to countries with less ambitious policies. Listen to the interview, and stay tuned for the next episode with Peter VIS on the design and implementation of the CBAM in practice.
In this episode, Agneta Rising, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, joins Joana Freitas to discuss the role of nuclear energy in the energy transition. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2018 nuclear power provided 10% of global electricity supply and 25% of electricity supply in Europe. Although no new nuclear plants have been built in Europe in the last few years, Agneta Rising points out that the global scenario looks positive. In Asian countries, like India, China and South Korea, there is a growing number of new nuclear plants, while there are also newcomer countries, which is the case of United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Belarus and Bangladesh. Nuclear is a zero-carbon, dispatchable, baseload energy source, and in many cases at a very competitive cost. “We can see in countries that have used and started to use nuclear energy how they boosted their economy and how many jobs they also created”, Agneta Rising adds. However, in Europe, public opinion seems divided, especially after the Fukushima accident. Regarding the Fukushima accident, Agneta Rising notes that “nobody has died and there is no expectation that anyone will die because of the radiation” and the experience from this accident has been taken into account to upgrade the safety of every reactor around the world. “There is a lot of myths about the accident”, Agneta Rising says. In addition to the safety issues regarding nuclear reactors, environmental organizations, as Greenpeace, have been raising concerns on the ability to handle nuclear waste. In Agneta Rising’s perspective, countries with nuclear plants have been successfully managing nuclear waste since nuclear started producing more than 60 years ago. “It’s not a large problem and it's not a highly technical problem. It's more a problem of just getting political decisions, supporting and choosing a good site.”
In this podcast Professor Matthias Finger, Director of the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation, speaks to Matthew Daus, former Commissioner of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (2001-2010), and current Transport Technology Chair at the Transport Center of the City College of New York, and practicing tansportation lawyer specialised in new modes of transport, including Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS).
Tune in to their discussion to learn about the emergence of the transport network companies (TNCs) concept, how it transformed the taxi industry of New York over the past 20 years, and how technology pushed the regulatory framework to evolve. What are the learning lessons from the EU when it comes to regulating the next big revolutions in transport, namely MaaS and automation? How will MaaS look like 10 years from now?
In this launching episode of the ‘On The Right Track’ podcast series, dedicated to 2021 as the European Year of Rail, Juan Montero, Professor at the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation speaks with Elisabeth Werner, Director for Land Transport at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Mobility and Transport, about the main regulatory priorities on the EU railways agenda.
What were the motivating drivers behind the European Year of Rail, and what concrete EU initiatives can we expect in 2021? What measures should be pursued on the rail passenger front to increase the modal share of rail? Can the liberalisation of the EU railway passenger market contribute to advancing the European Green Deal objectives? What tools should be considered to improve the management of cross-border traffic and night train services? Is a breakthrough in policy necessary to boost the share of rail freight transport? What are the learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic as regards the resilience of rail transport and the importance of capacity management? Listen to the full conversation to find out more.
In this podcast with Christopher Bremme (Linklaters, Berlin) and Julia Sack (Linklaters, Berlin), we focus on the increasing role of foreign investment controls in the EU with the so-called Screening Regulation, which came into effect in October 2020, and the impact of these mechanisms on the energy sector, particularly as it relates to Germany.
This podcast focuses on the latest developments in Case C-594/18 P: Austria v European Commission, a long-running legal saga surrounding the development of a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in the UK, which sheds light on EU state aid rules and the interaction between the Euratom Treaty and the TFEU. As the Euratom Treaty does not contain state aid rules, to what extent do the principles of the TFEU apply when it comes to determining the compatibility of state aid to the nuclear sector?
In 2014, the EC approved the UK’s plans to give state aid to support the construction of two EPR reactor units at Hinkley Point C, deeming it compatible with EU state aid guidelines, and thus the internal market. The basis of their approval was Art 107(3)(c) TFEU. The project, a joint venture between EDF and CGN, would be the first new nuclear power station in the UK in almost 20 years, and account for roughly 7% of the UK’s electricity supply. In the rare move of one MS challenging a state aid decision for another, Austria launched an appeal to this decision in 2015 on the basis that approval of the scheme contradicted the EU policy to support renewable energy. The case divided Member States. In July 2018, the GC dismissed the action on the basis that there was no need to establish an EU-wide objective of common interest for the project or, surprisingly, to establish that the aid is there to correct a market failure. Furthermore, it was found that the ET principles are separate from those of the TFEU/TEU, and thus the principles on the protection of the environment do not apply. Austria appealed the decision.
In a non-binding opinion of 7 May 2020, AG Gerard Hogan suggested EU judges should dismiss the appeal. He argued that Art 107(3)(c) TFEU does not predicate the compatibility of state aid upon it serving a ‘public’ or ‘common’ interest objective. Rather, compatibility need only be determined according to the potential of the aid to distort competition or trade. By accepting the objectives of the ET, all MS have “clearly signified their unqualified acceptance in principle of the right of other Member States to develop nuclear power plants in their own territories should they wish to do so.” He also noted that EU law (via Art 194 TFEU) has given each MS the right to determine its own energy mix. Ultimately, according to Hogan’s interpretation, compatibility cannot be used as an instrument to effect positive integration.
In the subsequent ruling of 22 Sept 2020, the Court dismissed Austria’s appeal and confirmed that the construction of the power plant may benefit from state aid, as originally approved by the EC pursuant to Art 107(3)(c) TFEU and in line with AG Hogan’s opinion. The Court confirmed that in the absence of specific state aid rules in the ET, the state aid rules of the TFEU are applicable to the nuclear energy sector. The Court concluded that the compatibility of aid is not dependent on the pursuit of a ‘common interest.’ The existence of a market failure may therefore be a factor in declaring aid compatible, but it is not a requisite for compatibility, according to the conditions laid out in Art 107(3)(c). Significantly, contrary to the GC’s findings, the new ruling held that state aid for an economic activity, which contravenes environmental rules, cannot be declared compatible with the internal market. The same is true for the provisions of secondary EU law on the environment. However, in the same ruling, the Court noted that the EC is required to take into account the negative effects of the state aid on competition and trade between MS only, and concludes that the GC in its earlier ruling was correct in the interpretation that the EC did not have to take into account the negatives effects of the measures on the environmental principles. How does this tally? What can be deducted from this split conclusion with respect to environmental protection principles?
This is a podcast about the replicability of the project LIFE DICET in other carbon markets. The project LIFE DICET is co-financed by the EU LIFE programme and managed by FSR Climate. It supports the EU and the Member States in international cooperation for possible integration of carbon markets with 5 other ETS regulators, namely China, California, Québec, New Zealand and Switzerland.
In the podcast, Albert Ferrari from FSR Climate converses with Professor Duan Maosheng, Director of the China Carbon Market Center of Tsinghua University, about the replicability of the project in China. Duan is extensively involved in the design and operation of China’s carbon markets and is actively contributing to the project LIFE DICET. More info: https://lifedicetproject.eui.eu/
In this episode, Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General, European Coordinator for Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility, DG MOVE, European Commission, joins Juan Montero, FSR Transport Part-time professor, to discuss Speed and Speed Management in Road Safety Policy. The discussion is a follow-up of the Executive Seminar with applied experts, researchers and stakeholders, which took place on the 8th of October. Mr. Baldwin and Prof. Montero discuss a number of highly relevant issues: importance of speed and speed management in the Safe System, future steps to improve speed management at the EU and national level and what could the EU do in the future.
In this talk, the FSR Director, Jean-Michel Glachant introduces a framework of five key building blocks (technology; energy policy; energy professionals; energy consumers; the grid) to explain why he thinks that local distribution system operators (DSOs) are back at the core of the power system today, and why the future remains uncertain.
In this special episode of Net Zero, Leonardo Meeus, Professor at Florence School of Regulation and Vlerick Business School, and Georg Zachmann, Senior Fellow at Bruegel, share their thoughts on how legislation and policy are enabling the energy transition in Europe. The special episode also highlights insights from an FSR online interview with Directorate-General for Energy, Ditte Juul Jørgensen, in which she discussed Europe’s green recovery strategy from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back in June 2019, the European Commission published the last energy package – the Clean Energy for all Europeans package – aimed at accelerating the energy transition and giving all Europeans access to secure, competitive and sustainable energy. After this new legislative package, in early 2020, Ursula Von der Leyen presented the European Green Deal, a policy manifesto aimed at making Europe climate neutral by 2050. In Georg Zachmann’s view there are three key building blocks to achieve this ambition – i) set a carbon pricing mechanism to all sectors; ii) ensure a just transition, compensating those who somehow are negatively impacted; and iii) finance the transition, transforming the EIB into a European Climate Bank. A few months later to the green deal announcement, European economies start suffering record downturns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To support Europe's economic recovery, in May 2020, the European Commission launches the so-called “green recovery plan” putting climate action and energy at the centre of the agenda. Ditte Juul Jørgensen sees the European Green Deal as “a growth strategy in itself” and a “very useful foundation and starting point for the recovery that we are now engaging in”. The Directorate-General for Energy also points out three groups of energy policies driving this green recovery: i) buildings renovation; ii) scaling up renewables; and iii) system integration. In what concerns system integration and sector coupling, Leonardo de Meeus highlights the importance of “shedding some light on the grey areas of regulation”. While the path to climate neutrality and economic recovery in Europe seems challenging, particularly regarding public acceptance and equality across member states and income brackets of the population, Georg Zachmann refers to several studies proving “how easy it will be to have climate policies for significantly lower distributional effects”.
In this episode, Violeta Mihalache, Director of Urban Survey Timisoara, joins us for a discussion on the rationale behind- and challenges towards a common European framework for sustainable urban mobility indicators (SUMI). We discuss a number of topical issues on the urban mobility agenda: from sustainable urban mobility planning, to indicators and data gathering, funding and financing issues, and not the least, the interrelation between SUMI and the European Green Deal and Climate Law objectives.
In this episode, Marylin Bastin, Head of Aviation Sustainability at EUROCONTROL joins us for a discussion on the European Green Deal and its implications for the aviation sector. We discuss critical issues on the European aviation agenda, including barriers to route optimisation and how the implementation of the Single European Sky can support the reduction in aviation emissions. Furthermore, we touch upon the measures that airports can implement to mitigate both air- and noise-pollution stemming from airplanes and airport operations. Not least, we discuss the future of aviation in the post-Covid-19 period: Can climate-resilient growth be achieved? Could Covid-19 be transformed into an opportunity for a more sustainable and resilient European aviation?
In this episode, Sonya Twohig, Director of Operations at ENTSO-e, joins Net Zero host Joana Freitas to discuss if the ownership of grid operators influences the delivery of the energy transition. Recently, some questions have been raised on which entities should own the grids. For example, in the UK, the Labour party announced a plan to take National Grid into public ownership (if it were elected Government). On the other hand, the Dutch Finance Minister has said he plans to privatize or sell off a stake in TenneT, as the company needs more equity to invest in grid upgrades. In Sony Twohig’s view, grid operators can work in a very positive way regardless their shareholder structure, as, in the end of the day, “what is really important is that the operation and the management of that grid is controlled and regulated by the regulatory authority that supports that grid”. Another issue that has been recently under discussion is the entry of relatively two new categories of shareholders: Pension Funds and State companies from countries outside the European Union. Regarding potential security concerns, Sony Twohig notes that those concerns exist “regardless of whether you have investors coming from outside EU jurisdictions or not” as some threats come from within the domestic country and are not specifically related with the investors’ profile. In countries where the TSO is fully private, as UK and Portugal, the issue of segregating the System Operator function has also been raised. Currently, given the integration of a large amount of renewables, the system operator and the network operator need to work in a much more integrated way. However, Sony Twohig considers that such integration “doesn’t mean that they have to be on the same business structure” and highlights the key role of regulators “to ensure that we do all work towards that one single driver [integration of renewables”.
In this episode, Piia Karjalainen, Secretary General of the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) Alliance joins us for a discussion on the role of MaaS in supporting the advancement of the European Green Deal agenda. We discuss issues critical to enabling the development of MaaS, including data sharing, multimodal ticketing and payment systems, as well as the role of the insurance sector in adapting to the needs of multimodality, while also serving the needs of the service providers. Not least, we discuss the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic and the social distancing regulations implemented to curb its spread. Is the pandemic a threat or can it be turned into an opportunity for MaaS?
In this podcast, Leigh Hancher discusses the recent non-binding opinion (http://curia.europa.eu/juris/documents.jsf?num=C-594/18%20) of Gerard Hogan, Advocate General of the European Court of Justice, with regard to a decision on state aid to the nuclear power plant Hinkley Point C in the UK. In Hogan’s opinion, EU judges should dismiss an appeal by Austria aimed at overturning the approval of UK state aid to support the construction of the nuclear plant. Hogan stated, “it is clear that the development of nuclear power is, as reflected in the Euratom Treaty, a clearly defined objective of EU law”. In 2014, after several agreed changes to the plans, the European Commission approved the UK’s plans to give state aid to support the construction of two EPR reactor units at Hinkley Point C, deeming it compatible with EU state aid guidelines and thus the internal market. At the time, it was considered by the Commission that the aid was justified as there was a “lack of market-based financial instruments and other contracts to hedge against the substantial investment risks in the project”. The project is a joint venture between EDF and China General Nuclear Power Corporation, with the latter holding a 33.5% stake. The planned plant, which would be the first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK in almost twenty years, would account for approximately 7% of the UK’s electricity supply.
Austria first launched an appeal to this decision in 2015 on the basis that approval of the scheme contradicted EU policy to support renewable energy. The then Austrian chancellor Werner Faymann argued that nuclear power “is not an innovative technology and is therefore not worthy of a subsidy”. He added that “[State] aid is there to support new and modern technologies that are in the general interest of all EU countries. This is in no way true of nuclear power.” The case divided Member States. In the course of proceedings, Luxembourg intervened in support of Austria while France, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the UK intervened in support of the Commission. In July 2018, the General Court dismissed the action brought by Austria. However, in September 2018, Austria appealed against the decision before the European Court of Justice. In his opinion of 7 May 2020, Hogan stated that, by accepting the objectives of the Euratom Treaty, all Member States have “clearly signified their unqualified acceptance in principle of the right of other Member States to develop nuclear power plants in their own territories should they wish to do so.” He also notes that EU law (according to Art 194 TFEU) has given each Member State the right to determine its own energy mix. Hogan comments that, according to its wording and the position of the provision in the TFEU, aid, in order to be compatible with the Treaty, neither has to pursue an ‘objective of common interest’ nor an ‘objective of public interest’. It only has to ‘facilitate the development of certain economic activities’ and it must not ‘adversely affect trading conditions to an extent contrary to the common interest.’ As Hogan noted, “This case can be described as the legal side of a dispute between Member States that are in favour of nuclear power and those that are not. Both sides claim that they pursue their course with a view to protecting the environment”.
While a decision on this appeal is still pending, Hogan’s opinion will be taken into account when the European Court ultimately rules on Austria’s appeal. In the podcast, Leigh Hancher shares her thoughts on the opinion.
In this episode, Auke Lont, CEO of Statnett, talks to Joana Freitas, Ambassador for the Lights on Women initiative of the Florence School of Regulation, about the key challenges around carbon pricing. The European Union currently has a mixed system to price emissions – 41% of greenhouse gas emissions fall under the Emissions Trading System (ETS), 7% are covered by carbon taxes and 4% fall under both instruments. Auke Lont considers that the EU ETS system “functions pretty well” and points out two improvements going forward – introducing a floor price and getting rid of free allowances. On top of that, Auke Lont also recognises the importance of specific measures outside the ETS scheme, particularly to accelerate innovation in getting CO2 out of the system. One of the key issues when pricing carbon is whether prices in different countries should be allowed to vary – a single price approach might have significant impacts on specific regions. The other issue is how to address emissions from different sectors of the economy – there are still a number of sectors not subject to emissions restrictions in EU, like Agriculture and Transport. At the same time, the transition to a low-carbon economy needs to be fair and just. “We should indeed try to link the fairness of the transition to the incomes which might be generated through the carbon tax system”, Auke Lont said. One of the most powerful measures presented by the new European Commissioner is the creation of a Carbon Border Tax. Auke Lont notes that it will force other countries to join EU in the climate change fight; however, the use of trade policy instruments might lead to retaliation. Consumers’ behaviour also play a very significant role in the transition – “it might be a catalyst for both industries to move faster in the green direction and for politicians to actually put more regulations or higher prices on carbon”.
In this episode, Net Zero host Joana Freitas invites Andris Piebalgs, Professor at Florence School of Regulation and former EU Commissioner for Energy, to discuss how renewable energy is changing global geopolitics. While over the last 200 years, control of oil, natural gas and coal, as well as of bottlenecks in global sea routes (like the Strait of Hormuz) have shaped the world geopolitics, renewables are now expected to challenge this landscape. Andris Piebalgs sees an opportunity for those nations that have been investing in new technologies related to renewables, like China, to reinforce their global influence in the energy area. On the other hand, Russia and Saudi Arabia are pointed out as the countries where the energy transformation might be more difficult as “it will be very difficult domestically to change the pricing for fossil fuels”. In the specific case of Middle East countries, there are already some investments in renewables but mostly in the Emirates. In Andris Piebalgs’s perspective a change in consumers’ patterns might be a key trigger for these countries’ transformation - “If Europe will go massively for electric vehicles, then definitely, these countries also will be encouraged to make reforms”. Although China is the world’s largest producer, exporter and installer of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles, Andris Piebalgs sees no reason to believe that Europe is changing from one type of dependency to another. Europe can always develop technologies on its own, while fossil fuels are clearly geographically located. “So my point is that definitely more renewable energy means more energy security, particularly for Europe”, Andris Piebalgs said. In a world where climate change is perhaps the biggest challenge, Andris Peibalgs also believes that the energy transition “definitely brings more peace”.
In this episode, Elena Bou, Board Member and Innovation Director at Innoenergy, joins host Joana Freitas to discuss how startups are challenging the traditional world of utilities. The energy sector is going through a period of unprecedented opportunities for innovation and growth in lots of different areas, opening doors for start-ups and entrepreneurs. Elena Bou points out that, over the last years, batteries have become one of the most intense areas of activity for these newcomers. At the same time, start-ups have also been working on a wide range of topics, such as alternative ways of mobility and control of heat and cold using low-carbon solutions, which will directly impact citizens. However, as it was noted by Professor Henry Chesbrough, the father of the open innovation concept, “the future of the energy will require ecosystems of collaboration between start-ups and big energy corporates”. While in some cases, start-ups are helping utilities and energy companies to accelerate innovation and to solve specific problems, Elena Bou also notes that “many start-ups are working with utilities to explore new business models”. Utilities seem to be more open to innovation than in the past, but there are still some barriers to overcome. In Elena Bou’s perspective, the lack of new skills is one of those barriers as “these profiles, they don't want to go to work to these type of companies because they prefer to work with the start-ups”. So far, we have not seen attackers from the tech world posing a real challenge to the energy incumbents (perhaps with the exception of electricity retail), but Elena Bou already sees companies like Google and Cisco as potential competitors and feels “a huge pressure on incumbents, particularly in Europe”.
In this podcast, Professor Leigh Hancher discusses the Baltic Cable case, a case centred on a power line which interconnects the electric power grids of Germany and Sweden, and weighs the implications of this case for cross-border interconnectors in the EU as well as its wider significance for EU energy law.
In this podcast, Clemens Ziegler (Ziegler State Aid AntiTrust SRL) discusses the EU Commission’s emergency state aid rules, which were announced on 19 March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis. What do these temporary rules allow? And what may be the implications of relaxing some of the EU state aid controls, especially for the energy sector?
In this episode, António Mexia, CEO of EDP Group, joins us to discuss the challenges that utilities are facing in adapting their organization, skills and culture to the energy transition environment.
António Mexia starts by noting that we are living in the middle of a revolution: digitalisation is totally transforming most sectors, including the energy sector, which was for decades a very traditional one. An open innovation approach is crucial in facing this new context, as “most opportunities will probably come from outside our walls, from outside the company”. In the specific case of EDP, of which António Mexia is CEO since 2006, the growth of the renewables business segment was one of drivers of the company’s cultural change – “People understood that everything would be different”. The need for a cultural change is now an issue for all the players along the value chain. Regarding grid operators, they have been mainly focused on the security of supply, but now they are also being challenged to change very fast to adapt to a much more decentralised and decarbonised system. In António Mexia’s view, the ability to become agile and flexible is key to address the technological and market disruptions that are coming. Moreover, he considers that attracting the best talent and committing to diversity are critical elements for energy companies to succeed. While it seems that not everyone is on-board on this upcoming disruptive change, António Mexia notes that this is a movement “clearly demanded by the society in the streets” with which companies will have to cope.
What role will Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technologies play in the energy transition context? In this episode, Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Director for Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks at International Energy Agency (IEA), shares her views on the opportunities and challenges arising from CCUS technologies with Net Zero host Joana Freitas.
According to IEA, industry currently accounts for almost 25% of CO2 emissions and 40% of global energy demand. Continued economic growth and urbanization, particularly in developing countries, is expected to drive up the demand for cement, steel and chemicals. In Wörsdörfer’s perspective CCUS is “the only known technology to be able to put these sectors on a pathway to this net zero emissions”. She also sees a role for CCUS in the power generation segment, especially in Asian countries, like China and India, where most of coal power plants are still very young and able to operate for decades: “One of the options here is to retrofit them and put also CCUS on the existing ones to cut the emissions”.
The discussion around CCUS is not new; however, the achievement of the Paris agreement goals and the new net zero ambition for 2050 have been driving a renewed interest in CCUS, particularly in Europe. On the other hand, CCUS deployment is still facing public acceptance issues in some European countries. According to Mechthild Wörsdörfer the use of CCUS does not mean “business as usual for fossil fuels” as, even considering the use of this type of technologies, it is necessary to decrease the use of coal in power generation by 75% in 2040 to achieve the climate goals. CCUS technology “provides a bridge between the reality we are still having right now and certainly the need for urgent emission reduction”.
In this episode, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson discusses the energy taxation policy in EU and the challenges behind a just transition with Joana Freitas, Ambassador for the FSR Lights on Women initiative. To achieve the level of ambition that is proposed in the Green Deal, the EU needs to set an effective carbon pricing policy. However, as Commissioner Simson notes, in some European countries, there are still some inconsistencies in the energy taxation system – there are cases in which taxation is more favorable to fossil fuels than to renewables. One of the most disruptive measures proposed in the EU Green Deal is the creation of a Carbon Border Tax.
As some segments of the population and some regions are particularly affected by this green transition, political initiatives, as the Just Transition Mechanism, play an important role in funding the transition and bringing the entire society on-board. Despite different starting points, the Just Transition Mechanism will be available to support all the Member States. “All around Europe we have factories that are losing their market share because of the technological solutions they are using”. Given the amount of investment required, national governments and the private sector will also have to contribute. In the Commissioner's view, national governments should develop their own financing mechanisms as the “Green Deal is not only about protecting our environment, but is also a growth strategy”.
In this episode, Kadri Simson, the Energy European Commissioner, discusses the EU's energy policy vision for the EU Green Deal with Joana Freitas, Ambassador for the FSR Lights on Women initiative. As 75% of EU’s greenhouse gas emissions come from using or producing energy, energy policy will play a major role in delivering the climate targets. Member States have been working on their National Energy and Climate Plans to set the targets and the action plan for the next decade. As they have very different starting points, the European Commission will provide assistance and financial support to those that are still reliant on fossil fuels.
In Part I of the Net Zero Special Edition with Commissioner Simson she discusses key pillars of the European Green Deal: ensuring no one is left behind, innovation as a driving force, and the importance of R&D for energy storage solutions.
Commisioner Simson also touches on the role hydrogen will play, stating “in the upcoming years, definitively the most innovative and exciting solution is hydrogen”.
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Community energy is one of the current buzzwords in the public discourse over the electricity sector and the energy transition. Within a community, citizens can adopt new models for the production and consumption of energy. Among them, there are peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading and collective self-consumption.
In this podcast, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Josh Roberts (REScoop) discuss the concept of community energy and its relation with new energy models like P2P trading and prosumption. According to Mr Roberts, community energy should not be defined by a set of activities or functions, but it is rather an organisational concept that refers to a certain type of governance. In an energy community, citizens or users must have the control and possibly the ownership of the assets used by the community itself. Third parties may be involved, but they cannot have the lead. If someone accepts this definition, then it is clear that P2P trading and collective self-consumption can be of different types and do not represent a sufficient condition for the existence of a true energy community. This kind of distinctions is not mere details relevant for academics only. On the contrary, it may have important implications for the current transposition of the European directives into national legislation and the future of community energy in the EU.
You may listen to another interview with Josh Roberts here: https://soundcloud.com/fsregulation-energy-and-climate/the-role-of-local-energy-communities-in-europe-part-one-josh-roberts-rescoopeu
This podcast was recorded on 18th February 2020 in Florence during the second meeting (https://fsr.eui.eu/event/global-observatory-on-peer-to-peer-community-self-consumption-and-transactive-energy-models/) of the Global Observatory on Peer-to-Peer, Community Self-Consumption and Transactive Energy Models (https://userstcp.org/annex/peer-to-peer-energy-trading/), organised by the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) in cooperation with the University College London (UCL) and the financial support by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom.
End users have traditionally played a limited and rather passive role in the provision of electricity. However, the decentralisation and digitalisation of the energy sector today are changing the way electricity is produced, exchanged and consumed. New energy models, for instance peer-to-peer (P2P) trading, community self-consumption, and transactive energy, are emerging.
In this podcast, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Alexandra Schneiders (UCL) present the new Global Observatory on P2P, community self-consumption and transactive energy models. Established in September 2019, the Observatory is part of the Users-centred Energy Systems Technology Collaboration Programme (Users TCP) of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Eight countries are members of this Observatory, whose primary goal is to create a platform where all the stakeholders involved in the roll-out of these new energy models can exchange information and build new knowledge. The outcomes of the Observatory are then expected to support the policy-making efforts by governments around the world and contribute to the adoption of sensible public policies and regulation.
This podcast was recorded on 18th February 2020 in Florence during the second meeting (https://fsr.eui.eu/event/global-observatory-on-peer-to-peer-community-self-consumption-and-transactive-energy-models/) of the Global Observatory on Peer-to-Peer, Community Self-Consumption and Transactive Energy Models (https://userstcp.org/annex/peer-to-peer-energy-trading/), organised by the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) in cooperation with the University College London (UCL) and with the financial support by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom.
An explosion in medium and small electricity prosumers has been observed in the past decade across the EU, mainly driven by generous support measures and PV cost reduction. This era is now coming to an end with the phase-out of net metering schemes and feed-in tariffs. Therefore, new business models ensuring economic sustainability are essential. In this podcast, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Donal Brown (University of Leeds) discuss how electricity prosumers can extract more value from their distributed generation assets. According to Dr Brown, prosumers might do at least three things: 1) increase their self-consumption rate behind the meter (e.g., via a micro-grid) or in front of it when allowed by regulation (e.g., Mieterstrom in Germany); 2) trade energy locally via peer-to-peer platforms or blockchain; 3) aggregate their loads and generation profiles to sell flexibility and other ancillary services. The development of digital technologies is making all these options potentially available, but regulation is not always conducive. When looking at the future of energy prosumers, the specific national context matters a lot.
If you want to know more about the PROSEU project and its result, please visit https://proseu.eu/
This podcast was recorded on 18th February 2020 in Florence during the second meeting (https://fsr.eui.eu/event/global-observatory-on-peer-to-peer-community-self-consumption-and-transactive-energy-models/) of the Global Observatory on Peer-to-Peer, Community Self-Consumption and Transactive Energy Models (https://userstcp.org/annex/peer-to-peer-energy-trading/) organised by the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) in cooperation with the University College London (UCL) and the financial support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom.
In this podcast, Professor Kim Talus from Tulane University discusses the latest controversies surrounding the OPAL gas pipeline, which links the Nordstream gas pipeline to Eastern Europe, and the implications of the recent judgment from the European Court of Justice for the interpretation and application of EU energy law. On 10 Sept 2019, the General Court of the ECJ annulled an earlier Commission decision to modify the exemption of the OPAL pipeline, by drawing on the principle of energy solidarity introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, as laid down in Article 194 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. In this podcast, Professor Talus gives a brief overview of the case, discusses the salient features of the judgment, particularly the meaning of the principle of solidarity, and reflects on the consequences of such an interpretation.
In this podcast, Dr Leonie Reins from Tilburg University discusses the role of the energy solidarity principle (as outlined in Article 194 TFEU) and the foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regulation in the development of a more integrated EU regulatory framework and a fully-fledged Energy Union. In particular, she examines how the General Court’s recent interpretation of the energy solidarity principle as seen in the OPAL case and the FDI screening will impact the energy sector.
In this podcast, Elina Hautakangas and Tatu Pahkala, from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in Finland, discuss the changing role of distribution system operators (DSOs) in the EU Clean Energy Package and reflect upon the implications of this shift for the EU internal electricity market and, specifically, Finland’s energy sector.
In this podcast, Dr Seita Romppanen, from the University of Eastern Finland, discusses the key aspects of two interrelated regulatory instruments of the EU climate and energy policy framework for 2030 under the Clean Energy Package: the Effort Sharing Regulation and the so-called LULUCF Regulation on land use, land-use change and forestry. Dr Romppanean introduces the overarching regulatory framework for the two regulations and analyses the main provisions of the Effort Sharing Regulation and the LULUCF Regulation before, finally, discussing these regulations in the context of EU climate and energy law and highlighting the next steps of development in this dynamic field of EU law.
According to the IEA, an average of 1.7% of total gas production is leaked into the atmosphere before it reaches the consumers. The phenomenon constitutes both a serious climate threat and an economic loss. In 2016, US EPA adopted new rules aimed at reducing methane emissions in the oil and gas sector. The rules include standards for periodic monitoring of possible leakage. In this podcast, Maria Olczak (FSR) and Robert L. Kleinberg, PhD (Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University and the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Boston University) discuss the consequences of the revision of the 2016 Obama-era methane regulations initiated by President Trump.
Thanks to this podcast, you will learn:
• what is the current state of the US regulations targeting methane leaks • how the industry responded to the rollback of 2016 regulations • why restoring 2016 Obama administration rules would be a mistake • what are the Methane Guiding Principles and OGCI • how to enable the use of new and emerging technologies to reduce methane leaks • the main takeaways of the US experience for the EU policy-makers
This podcast was recorded on 10th January 2020 at the Workshop on Methane Emissions Reduction organised by the European Commission in Berlin.
Brussels, Professor Jonathan Stern, distinguished Research Fellow (Natural Gas Research Programme), from Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, was a moderator of a session “Energy transition: how can LNG contribute?”. In this podcast, Professor Stern discusses LNG as an important asset to reach 2050 decarbonisation targets, as well as potential problems regarding emissions. He points out that in the next few years serious work will have to be devoted to certification of emissions, as to provide a more accurate tracking. According to Professor Stern is emphasising that decarbonisation of LNG and emission reduction, in the next two decades, will depend on CCS, bio-LNG and potentially from other sources.
The evolution of the structure of electricity systems and the new possibilities offered by digital technologies are leading to an evolution of electricity market designs around the world. In Italy, the need for new providers of flexibility and the increasing amount of distributed energy resources (DER) have prompted a reform of the market for ancillary services and its opening to virtually aggregated units of generation and consumption. In this podcast, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Jan Marc Schwidtal (Università di Padova) address the results of the recent auctions that took place in Italy and that awarded the right to mixed virtually aggregated units (UVAM) to offer their capacity into the Italian market for ancillary services. Jan Marc highlights the positive result of the auction, with around one GW of capacity awarded to 26 companies. However, he also notices that for the time being, most of the UVAM are made of a relatively few large-scale distributed generation units and industrial loads. Retail-size units like households or small commercial customers are still not involved, probably due to the relatively high cost of installing the required ICT infrastructure that is not justified by the prices at which flexibility is remunerated.
This podcast was recorded on 26th November 2019 in Florence at the 2nd Energy Innovation Bootcamp, organised by Energy Innovation Area of the Florence School of Regulation (FSR), in association with the Young Scholars Initiative (YSI).
In this podcast, Dr Ruven Fleming from the University of Groningen discusses electricity storage in EU law specifically from the point of view of the Clean Energy Package. He provides a brief introduction to what electricity storage is and why it is needed. He then focuses on how the new provisions of the Clean Energy Package address electricity storage and he discusses the practical implications of these new rules to four groups of market participants: energy consumers, energy producers, network system operators and, finally, private companies.
At the 2nd edition of the FSR Innovation Bootcamp, Bjarne Steffen, senior researcher at ETH Zürich and visiting researcher at MIT, gave a presentation around his work on renewable energy financing. In this podcast, Bjarne discusses his work around the cost of capital of investments in renewables with Tim Schittekatte, researcher at the FSR. Bjarne and his co-authors found that between 2005 and 2017, the cost of capital for wind and solar reduced significantly in Germany and explains how three types of drivers contributed to this decline. Learnings around these drivers can aid to foster investment conditions for new technologies in a global context and can help to understand how the levelised cost of electricity can be impacted by changes in general interest rates. Finally, Bjarne's findings are also important to inform policymakers when wanting to revise the renewable support schemes of which the design can strongly influence the cost of capital. Introducing support schemes that give more market signals can help to better integrate renewables but can come at an expense in terms of cost of capital.
Relevant work from Bjarne Steffen: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-018-0277-y https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0375-2
Prof. Poul Erik Morthorst of the Danish Technical University (DTU)’s ideas are clear: carbon pricing cannot be the excuse to delay or avoid investments in technology supporting renewable energy development.
On the contrary, taking immediate action could lead to short-term benefits: “We should invest in RES now, and have an immediate effect on CO2 reduction” urges Professor Morthorst. [Listen to the full podcast, recorded in the context of the FutureGas annual meeting in Vaerloese, Denmark].
Climate change is likely to modify significantly patterns of capital investments and constitutes both a risk and an opportunity for investors and financial institutions. A framework aligning the decisions of financial institutions with long-term climate goals is taking shape, and carbon intensive investments will likely face an increasing risk of being stranded. Within this framework, banks must be transparent and clear about how their products and services create value for their customers, clients, investors, as well as the environment. The Principles for Responsible Banking help banks to align their business strategy with society’s goals through ESG – Environmental Social and Governance – investments. The Principles provide the framework for a sustainable banking system, and help the industry demonstrate how it makes a positive contribution to society. They are accelerating the banking industry’s contribution to achieving society’s goals as expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. The Principles were publicly launched and signed by 130 banks from 49 countries, representing more than USD47 trillion in assets, on September 22 on the eve of the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019. Today’s seminar aims to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the Principles, their alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement objectives, and to discuss their potential impact on the transition to a low-carbon economy.
On 28 March 2019, the European Court of Justice annulled the Commission’s decision that the German law on renewable energy (EEG 2012) involved State aid. This annulment, in turn, has cast similar support schemes previously deemed State aid in a contentious light. What was the Court’s reasoning, and what does this ruling mean for the development of case law in State aid? In this podcast, Dr Max Klasse of Blomstein discusses the background to the case and what led to this decision before considering the implications of the judgment, and how it may reframe the criteria that constitutes State aid.
In this interview, Valerie Reif (FSR Energy) talks to Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, about the newest developments in solar. We look at the uptake of solar around the world, touch upon technological developments and discuss the implications of the Clean Energy Package for the evolvement of solar and other renewables in Europe. Check out SolarPower Europe's Global Market Outlook report here : solarpowereurope.org/global-market-outlook-2019-2023/
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What do electricity consumers really want? In this episode, Annette Jantzen, Secretary General at the National Energy Ombudsmen Network, shares her thoughts with Joana Freitas, Ambassador for the Lights on Women initiative of the FSR, on the main needs and concerns of electricity consumers, in the changing context of the energy transition. According to Annette Jantzen, one of the key issues arising from the energy transition is the high effort that the most vulnerable consumers have to make – “The households which are making the biggest effort to fund the energy transition today are the poorest ones”. At European level, the Clean Energy Package (CEP) is the first legislative package that mentions citizens in its name – Clean Energy for all Europeans. Annette Jantzen describes the CEP as very positive when it comes to consumer rights and protections, however, also notes that there is still a long way to go in terms of putting in place all the rights established in the document. “[The lack of strong legal provisions] could create issues and maybe a loss of trust, or hinder people from actually participating in the market”, she adds. Annette Jantzen also comments on the resistance to smart meters in some European countries – “People don’t really see why they should have a smart meter. They would be less worried once they see they would get benefit out of it”. In the end of the day, what electricity consumers really want is “a reliable service at an affordable price”.
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In this episode, Chris Peeters, CEO of the Elia Group, shares his views with Joana Freitas, Ambassador for the Lights on Women initiative of the FSR, on what the digitalisation of the energy system really means and discusses the key challenges and consequences for different market players. In Chris Peeters’ perspective, one of the immediate uses of digital technologies will be on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of day-to-day activities. On the other hand, Chris also notes that digitalisation will enable an efficient interaction amongst the different actors of a system that will be much more decentralized and electrified. In this new context, consumers will play an increasingly important role as we will be moving to “the concept of, first of all, consumer in the centre and, secondly, around that consumer, providers of energy as a service”. Thanks to digitalisation, market players will also become much more agile in addressing consumers’ specific needs. Regarding electricity grid operators, Chris Peeters points out two lines of action for the coming years: continue investing in the infrastructure to adjust to the new system setup and “making sure that the system evolves in a way that is actually adapting to the new needs of the clients”. Throughout this transition, “all these technologies [blockchain, artificial intelligence, drones, satellite images and big data] have somewhere their place in the system”. Regarding the large investments expected to digitize networks, Chris Peeters believes that “we should really limit the regulated sector to […] a very robust, lean and mean layer, and all the other investments need to prove themselves as commercially viable.”
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In this episode, Tara Connolly, EU Climate and Energy Policy Director at Greenpeace, reflects on the real impact of energy transition on the environment, in a candid conversation with Joana Freitas, Ambassador for the Lights on Women initiative of the FSR. While there is a big drive today in Europe to switch from fossil fuels to renewable sources, is all the emphasis on power generation enough to fight climate change? According to Tara Connolly, “decarbonizing the power sector is absolutely key”, but there needs to be more focus on other sectors, like transportation and heating and cooling. Tara Connolly also notes that, for the most part, “the technologies are there, it’s about putting in place policies that will support and accelerate their deployment”. However, a world with more renewables will also probably be a world with mass deployment of lithium ion batteries and increased mining of cobalt, which raises other environmental issues. For Tara Connolly, Europe should start by making sure that “the standards in these mines are as high as possible”, but “we cannot just be replacing every single internal combustion engine in Europe with an electric vehicle”. One of the key strategies to address the climate change is “understanding and accepting that we cannot keep the same system that we have going and just replacing it”. According to Tara Connolly, “we need to significantly downsize a lot of what we are doing”.
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What impact will the energy transition have on electricity prices for consumer? Monika de Volder, Senior Economic Officer at BEUC – The European Consumers Organisation, discusses with Joana Freitas, Ambassador for the FSR Lights on Women initiative, the expected impact of increased renewables and consumer-oriented services in the retail electricity prices. Monika de Volder starts by noting that, against public expectations, electricity prices for households have been increasing over the last ten years – “We see more and more liberalization, which we would expect to result in more competition and better services and lower prices for consumers. Yet we don’t see that in every country”. In fact, renewables are very often blamed for increasing electricity prices. However, as Monika de Volder refers, renewables are the best alternative to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. In the future, the introduction of new demand response services might allow consumers to capture the positive effect of the lower marginal cost of renewables. “Consumers will participate [in the electricity market], but it needs to be financially worth it without any trade offs for them”, Monika de Volder says. On the other hand, the digitalization of the electricity sector may also bring benefits for consumers. Monika de Volder describes it as a “game changer”, as it will lead to a much more efficient and reliable system. While the electricity system is going through a deep transformation,“energy poor or vulnerable consumers are one of the highest challenges we are facing today”.
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Why do TSOs and DSOs need to cooperate more than in the past? Viviana Vitto, Head of Market Studies and Strategic Analysis at Enel Global Infrastructure and Networks, joins Joana Freitas, Ambassador of the Lights on Women initiative of the FSR, to discuss how the energy transition is shaping the need and configuration of TSO/DSO coordination. In Viviana’s perspective, decentralized generation, electrification and electric vehicles are growing at a fast pace and, given this new context, “TSOs and DSOs have just not the need but the responsibility to cooperate in order to rethink the energy system”. In fact, several European grid operators have been participating in TSO/DSO coordination pilots, as CoordiNet and SmartNet. The Clean Energy Package also paves the way to a closer cooperation between TSOs and DSOs. One of the measures determined by this package is the creation of a DSO entity, which, in Viviana’s view, “will play an important role to implement this cooperation and identifying the needs of the future system”. Vivana also notes that regulation is one of the key enablers of TSO/DSO coordination – “[TSO/DSO coordination] cannot be fast enough without the supportive regulatory framework”. While the electricity system is evolving at a fast pace, driving TSOs and DSOs to cooperate more than in the past...we need to keep all the options open for the time being”.
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Will Europe be able to achieve 100% renewables by 2050? Albert Cheung, Head of Global Analysis at Bloomberg NEF, talks to Joana Freitas, Ambassador for the Lights on Women initiative of the FSR, about the key obstacles and challenges of an energy system with high penetration of renewables. According to Albert Cheung, although solar and wind are becoming the cheapest forms of power generation, “there are a lot of obstacles and it's a really long road to get to those sorts of high penetrations”. As 100% renewables also mean a zero-carbon power system, it will require a “huge collaborative effort between government, energy companies and the investment community”. Despite the obstacles, several European countries are already setting ambitious targets for the next decade – by 2030, Austria expects to achieve 100% of renewables in electricity consumption while UK will be coal free by 2025. Albert Cheung also notes that this change of paradigm will require “massive amounts of flexibility” as an “energy system that has 90 percent renewables in 2050 is going to operate very differently from the one that we have today”.
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The Head of the Innovation Area at the FSR, M. Vazquez discusses the potential of peer-to-peer contracts and decentralised technologies in the energy sector with Rolf Riemenschneider (European Commission, DG Connect).
The interview has been conducted in the context of the Workshop: Digital Energy Marketplaces, held on 17 September in Florence. More info here: https://fsr.eui.eu/event/dlt-smart-contracts-digitalisation-energy/
The Florence School of Regulation invited Jorge Moreno, Partner at inodú, to discuss inodú’s latest publication, which reviews Chile’s decarbonisation efforts. In the podcast, Pradyumna Bhagwat (Research Fellow, FSR) and Mr Moreno discuss decarbonisation measures undertaken by the Chilean Government, their impact and recommendations for rapid decarbonisation in the future.
Chile has committed to reducing its CO2 emission per GDP unit to 30% below the 2007 levels by 2030 as ratified under the Paris agreement. In view of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, several steps have been taken by the Chilean Government. Working groups were established to develop a conversion and retirement schedule for existing coal generation facilities. An example of the impact is the June 2019 agreement between generation companies and the government to retire eight coal units (1047 MW) over 5 years.
Some of the key recommendations presented in their article while closing coal plants are: 1) Provide certainty on new environmental requirements such as emissions restrictions; 2) Communicate the closure in advance; 3) Establish an early definition of goals and purpose for the site; 4) Conduct environmental research early for the site; 5) Address the economic challenges created by the plant’s decommissioning; 6) define the closing firm’s responsibility; 7) Use multi-stakeholder groups to identify potential uses for the site; 8) Establish opportunities for third parties to present possible development alternatives for the site; and 9) Define the role of the municipality and key local stakeholders.
Aggregators in the Clean Energy Package: Opportunities and Difficulties as Enablers for Decentralised Actors
In this podcast, Dr. Maximilian Wimmer, senior researcher at the Foundation for Environmental Energy law (Stiftung Umweltenergierecht), analyses aggregators’ opportunities and difficulties as enablers for decentralised actors in the future energy market with a view on the relevant legal framework found in the “Clean Energy for All Europeans Package”.
In the near future, aggregators are likely to play an important role as enablers for decentralised market actors like consumers, prosumers, active customers and energy communities. With the help of aggregation, it will be possible to reduce prices on control reserves and wholesale markets by combining several different units and optimising their demand and supply behaviours. For consumers and prosumers participating in aggregation services, it will have the potential to lower balancing costs and decrease the energy bill. Further, the aggregator can take the role of the intermediary between decentralised actors and the market and can help small actors like renewable self-consumers, active customers, or small businesses to participate in the electricity market.
Although there are many opportunities for aggregation business models, there are also various barriers. While several aggregation models already exist, the main problems lie with market access, local settlement and the access to or exchange of data. From a legal point of view, the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package provides various legislative acts that concern aggregators or aggregation and will oblige the Member States to take action in these areas. In particular, the Internal Electricity Regulation and Directive as well as the Renewable Energy Directive have to be examined. In this context, the three year Horizon2020 project “BestRES”, with a collaboration of nine partner countries, analysed the current and future situation for aggregators. It identified relevant barriers and possible solutions for a legal framework on European and national level.
For further information and to find out more about BestRES, please visit http://bestres.eu/ or read the reports on the development of a legal framework here: http://bestres.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BestRES-5.2_National-framework-for-RES-aggregationSUER.pdf http://bestres.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BestRES-5.2_National-framework-for-RES-aggregationSUER.pdf http://bestres.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BestRES_D5.3_European_framework-for-RES-aggregationSUER.pdf
Wind power industry has been a great success in Brazil, the installed capacity of wind power has increased from less than 1 GW in 2010 to more than 15 GW in 2019 in more than 600 wind farms, accounting for more than 9% of the Brazilian electricity matrix, with an 80% nationalized production chain. Today, wind Energy is the second largest source of electric energy in Brazil. In this podcast we talk with Elbia Gannoum, who as ABEEólica´s CEO has been active in strengthening the sustainable growth of wind energy in Brazil.
Elbia Gannoum has been the CEO of ABEEÓLICA, the Brazilian Wind Energy Associatio, since September 2011. She was a Member of the Board of CCEE, the Electrical Energy Chamber of Commerce from June 2006 to April 2011. She was a Chief Economist to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (2003-2006, Coordinator of the Political Institute of the Ministry of Finance (2002-2003), Advisor of Economic Affairs to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (2001), Advisor to ANEEL (2001-2001), and Professor of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (1998-2000).
This podcast was created as a part of the FSR’s Lights on Women initiative in joint partnership with Inter-American Development Bank under the Lights on Women LAC Edition series. Learn more about the Lights on Women LAC Edition here: medium.com/lights-on-women/lig…dition-2a0211b1c456
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Francesco Ferioli (European Commission, DG Energy) in an interview with Ilaria Conti (FSR) focuses on the question how Power-to-Gas technology could impact the future supply and demand equilibrium in the electricity sector. Mr Ferioli explains that due to its flexibility potential Power-to-Gas could help hedge the risks for renewable electricity producers in a more efficient way than Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and batteries. The podcast recorded on the margins of training “Power to the molecules (from technology to market uptake)” on 11 and 12 July 2019 in Florence.
Link to training page: https://fsr.eui.eu/training/energy/power-to-the-molecules-from-technology-to-market-uptake/
On the margins of the training “Power to the molecules (from technology to market uptake)” on 11 and 12 July 2019, Ilaria Conti (Head of FSR Gas) interviews Martina Conton (EU Policy manager at The Natural & bio Gas Vehicle Association Europe). Within the framework of the recently published EU long-term strategy, NGVA expects the hydrogen to play a more and more important role in the transport sector, mainly as blended with methane. However, since Power-to-Gas is perceived as not fully mature technology, the feasibility, cost and the sustainability of hydrogen are still to be assessed.
Link to training page: https://fsr.eui.eu/training/energy/power-to-the-molecules-from-technology-to-market-uptake/
The Andean Electric Interconnexion System Initiative (SINEA by its acronym in Spanish) was created in 2011 by Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú and Bolivia (as an observer country) with the goal of advancing the integration of their electric systems. SINEA´s coordination rotates annually in July, this year Chile has the task of moving the path of electricity integration forward in the region. According to Paula Estevez, Energy Integration is a priority for Chile, as “Interconnected systems are more robust, resilient, and provide greater security in energy emergencies, and also they enable a higher penetration of variable renewable energies as solar and wind because they give greater flexibility to the systems”.
Listen to the podcast in Spanish here: http://bit.ly/2LnyWuI
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We sat down for a conversation with FSR Area Directors Jean-Michel Glachant and Matthias Finger in the framework on the 8th Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures, the School’s annual event which brings together all FSR Areas, namely Energy & Climate, Transport, Telecoms & Media, and Water. This two-day conference took place on 20-21 June 2019, and gathered academics and academically minded practitioners for interactive thematic sessions aimed at identifying the key challenges of digitalisation for traditional network industries; discovering various regulatory approaches to platforms and determining benefit scenarios for consumers and to the platforms themselves. This podcast zooms into the implications for energy and transport.
At the SmartNet Project Final Workshop in Arona, we had the chance to interview Peter Nemcek from Cybergrid, one of the Advisory Board members of the SmartNet project. In this podcast, Peter underlines that the promising results of the SmartNet and its pilot projects prove that we can address the most important issues raised by intermittent renewables and this takes us one big step closer to better coordination between TSO and DSO and the future of energy markets.
For more information on the SmartNet Project, visit: http://smartnet-project.eu/
Why testing five different TSO-DSO coordination schemes? In the context of the Horizon2020 SmartNet Project Final Workshop in Arona, the FSR Director, Jean-Michel Glachant interviews Helena Gerard (Vito) on the five coordination schemes analysed by the project to learn more about the SmartNet research and its final outcomes.
The SmartNet project aimed to provide optimised instruments and modalities to improve the coordination between the grid operators at national and local level (respectively the TSOs and DSOs) and the exchange of information for monitoring and for the acquisition of ancillary services (reserve and balancing, voltage balancing control, congestion management) from subjects located in the distribution segment (flexible load and distributed generation).
For more information, please visit: http://smartnet-project.eu/
What is new about the coordination of TSO and DSO? In the context of the Horizon2020 SmartNet Project Final Workshop in Arona, the FSR Director, Jean-Michel Glachant interviews Norela Costantinescu (ENTSOE) on the theme of TSO-DSO coordination to better understand the implications of the research results achieved by the SmartNet Project and the future steps that will be taken by the INTERRFACE project.
The SmartNet project aimed to provide optimised instruments and modalities to improve the coordination between the grid operators at national and local level (respectively the TSOs and DSOs) and the exchange of information for monitoring and for the acquisition of ancillary services (reserve and balancing, voltage balancing control, congestion management) from subjects located in the distribution segment (flexible load and distributed generation).
For more information, please visit: http://smartnet-project.eu/
Please note that wind noise appears in the beginning of the podcast.
'In this podcast Daniel Schmerler, Chairman of the Peruvian Supervising and Regulatory Agency for Energy and Mining Investment, reflects on the status of the energy transition in Peru. Daniel tackles the topics of access to the electricity grid, share of variable renewables in electricity, market integration in South America and the development of new interconnectors. He also discusses the need for a general debate on energy as well as the adoption of indicative planning processes in the Peruvian energy sector.'
Colombia continues reforming its electric sector to improve and expand service, reduce vulnerability to climate change and diversify the energy matrix by incorporating more non-conventional renewable sources (including solar, wind and biogas). According to Alexandra Planas - Senior Energy Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank - "the use of Non-conventional sources of renewable energy has been growing steadily in the last decade, but still only represents one percent of the total energy matrix in Colombia", therefore the reforms are necessary to secure the energy transition in the country and to increase the share of Non-conventional energy to 15-18% by 2031. This podcast was created as a part of the FSR’s Lights on Women initiative in joint partnership with Inter-American Development Bank under the Lights on Women LAC Edition series. Learn more about the Lights on Women LAC Edition here: https://medium.com/lights-on-women/lights-on-women-the-latin-american-and-caribbean-edition-2a0211b1c456
Subscribe for updates and opportunities from Lights on Women! http://bit.ly/2Sk4diT
At the FSR Global Forum (25-28 March) Piero Carlo dos Reis (FSR), interviewed Mr. Georgios Pantoulis, Deputy Head of Unit “Sustainable Energy, Climate Change” of European Commission DG DEVCO.
After a roundtable on Multilateral institutional initiatives with representatives of European Commission DGs, IRENA and UNECA, Piero and Mr. Pantoulis discuss the EU Commission’s goals and activities regarding international energy cooperation. Given the EU 2030 Paris agreement agenda, the European Commission is active in supporting all partner countries through incentives enabling sustainable, affordable, reliable and modern energy services. In particular, this discussion focuses on (1) ‘inclusive development’, ensuring that poor and vulnerable citizens benefit from these interventions, and (2) by being aware of being the main actors of these new developments, society will support the cooperation and further promote sustainability.
On the margins of the 11th edition of the Specialised Training on the Regulation of Gas Markets, Maria Olczak (FSR) and Anne-Sophie Corbeau (Head of Gas Analysis at BP) discuss the 2019 edition of BP Energy Outlook. During the interview, Anne-Sophie presents the key findings of the BP Energy Outlook, specifies the key factors that may influence the forecasted increase in global LNG trade, and concludes with some remarks on the role of gas in the EU energy mix in 2040 perspective.
At the FSR Global Forum (25-28 March) Tim Schittekatte, researcher at the Florence School of Regulation, interviewed Dr Anoop Singh who leads the Centre for Energy Regulation (CER) within IIT Kanpur, India.
In this podcast, firstly, it is questioned whether national reforms (i.e. liberalization) is a necessary precondition to allow for regional integration of electricity markets. Dr Singh argues that we do not have to wait for national reforms; these reforms might take too long. A better option is to start with bilateral agreements, which will quickly show benefits. These experiences will quickly illicit interest from other stakeholders which can join the project later. Secondly, it is mentioned that only a minimum set of requirements need to be met to allow for such bilateral electricity trade agreements. National markets may be gradually reformed to increase the benefits of electricity market integration. Finally, Dr Singh explains that currently, India is successfully trading electricity with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Interested in learning more about the Clean Energy Package? Check out our online course: http://bit.ly/CEP_online_course
The second day of FSR Global Forum coincided with the day when the new Electricity market Regulation and Electricity market Directive as well as of the Regulations on Risk Preparedness and on ACER were adopted by the European Parliament. This marks the finalisation of the Clean Energy Package negotiations.
Dr. Annegret Groebel shares with us her insights on the CEP role in enhancing the functioning of the internal electricity market and reaching climate goals, specifically on the role of regional coordination centres (RCCs); the establishment of the EU DSO entity and its tasks; the updated adoption process for network codes and guidelines.
Interested in this topic? Check out our specialised training on REMIT, designed to provide a critical understanding of how REMIT is currently being implemented and enforced, and equip participants with the necessary tools to anticipate practical issues and ensure compliance. http://bit.ly/2SbvuHt
In this podcast, Sohra Askaryar from Baker Botts (Brussels) addresses the recent case before the European Court of Justice, C-15/16 Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht V Ewald Baumeister, which clarifies the definition of confidential information in the context of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) first introduced in 2004 followed by MiFID II and the regulation MiFIR in 2014, effective from January 2018. The case sets out the criteria which national financial regulators must consider to determine if the information they hold on entities under their supervision may be disclosed to third parties. National financial regulators have extensive powers to request information from companies and are thereby privy to a range of commercially or otherwise sensitive information. This case has important practical implications for these companies with regard to the type of information they can expect to remain confidential and what may be disclosed. Do national financial regulators have an absolute duty of confidentiality? Can access to certain documents be granted and, if so, what determines this disclosure? What powers do financial regulators have over information? What protections are there for entities? What does it mean for energy market trading and transparency?
Digital technologies enable accurate monitoring and controlling of all devices connected to the electricity grid and the relative flows of energy. By doing so, they can harness the untapped potential for flexibility hidden in the system, both on the demand and the supply side, offering a solution to the challenges raised by decentralisation and decarbonisation. This is what aggregators and virtual power plants (VPPs) like Next Kraftwerke do. However, technology is only half of the story: favourable market conditions and an adequate regulatory framework are equally essential to get a sustainable business model.
How can you ensure that a monopoly company behaves in the best interest of consumers when the technological, economic and political landscape is always moving? In this podcast, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Joe Perkins (Ofgem) discuss the British experience with inventive regulation for energy grids. In 2010, Ofgem launched a major reassessment of the regulatory framework for energy grids. The analysis showed how the incentive regulation introduced in the 1990s had both merits and drawbacks. Among the latter, a difficulty to promote investments in innovation was apparent. Building on such analysis, Ofgem decided to change the regulatory framework for grids and adopt RIIO. Far from being a revolution, that move represented a natural evolution of the framework previously in place. Achievements so far have been good, but the oversight effort required from the regulator has been significant and the regulated companies may have benefited more than expected in terms of financial returns. It is for this reason that Ofgem is once again assessing the situation and is ready to learn from its own mistakes to improve continually grid regulation in the interest of British consumers. Do you want to know more? Please take a look at the recently published book ‘’Electricity Network Regulation in the EU: The Challenges Ahead for Transmission and Distribution’’ edited by Leonardo Meeus and Jean-Michel Glachant: http://fsr.eui.eu/publications/electricity-network-regulation-in-the-eu-the-challenges-ahead%E2%80%8E-for-transmission-and-distribution/ In the first chapter of the book, Vincent Rious and Nicolò Rossetto cover the British model of incentive regulation for electric grids, from the introduction of the RPI-X formula in the 1990s to the current revision of RIIO.
Today, in Europe electricity prices are determined per (bidding) zone which equals in most cases a country. Under zonal pricing, only transmission capacity limitations between the zones are considered in the market-clearing process. The transmission lines within a zone are assumed to have unlimited capacity. This assumption is more and more challenged; one factor is the changing pattern of network flows due to the integration of renewables. As a result, Europe’s less-than-optimal zonal configuration is becoming a limiting factor for the efficiency of the market integration process.
One remedy could be to build more transmission lines. This option is however costly and takes a lot of time. Another remedy could be to redraw the boundaries of the different bidding zones, a so-called bidding zone review. In the extreme, the zones could be determined so small up to the point that each node of the transmission network is priced; this is nodal pricing. With nodal pricing, limitations on all transmission lines are considered in the market clearing process. Nodal pricing is advocated by many academics as being the theoretical optimal solution. However, many stakeholders in Europe are resisting against a push in the nodal direction.
On the 25th of January, the Florence School of Regulation held a workshop about zonal versus nodal pricing for the electricity markets. In the slipstream of the workshop, Tim Schittekatte interviewed Vincent P. Duane, Senior Vice-President at PJM. PJM stands for Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland and is the largest independent power system operator (ISO) in the US. It operates competitive wholesale electricity markets and the power system serving an area encompassing 14 different states. Since about 20 years ago, nodal pricing is implemented in PJM.
In the interview, Tim questions Mr Duane about how PJM deals with some of the common ‘’European concerns’’ regarding a nodal electricity market: low liquidity, market power, and computational complexity. Looking at the PJM experience, the challenge in switching from zonal to nodal pricing is not really in the economics or technicalities but rather in governance. The interview ends with an outlook to the future. It is argued that if we really want a vision of local energy generation and smart consumption to materialize, we need local prices reflecting the correct value of the different attributes of electricity.
There is little debate about a charging point in your garage. It is yours. But what about charging points in the street?
In this short podcast, Tim Schittekatte interviews Luca Lo Schiavo, Vice-Director Energy Infrastructure and Unbundling at the Italian regulator ARERA. The Italian experience is an interesting case in this regard. Namely, a call for pilot projects was launched to build and operate public EV charging stations between 2011 and 2015. Three possible business models were proposed, which were distinct in terms of the operator (the DSO or a third-party), the number of competing retailers at the recharging infrastructure and the allowed degree of competition between charging stations in a determined area.
Want to know more? Please take a look at the recently published book ‘’Electricity Network Regulation in the EU: The Challenges Ahead for Transmission and Distribution’’ edited by Leonardo Meeus and Jean-Michel Glachant: http://fsr.eui.eu/publications/electricity-network-regulation-in-the-eu-the-challenges-ahead%E2%80%8E-for-transmission-and-distribution/
In the last chapter of the book, we cover new grey areas at the frontiers of European power grids. The regulation of public EV charging infrastructure is identified as such a grey area.
Is EU gas markets standardization a shortcut to energy transition or an obstacle?
Listen to Ilaria Conti (FSR) and Nicolas Peugniez (GRTgaz) reflect on the status of implementation of #gasNetworkCodes and the way ahead towards #decarbonisation
In the context of a FSR workshop on zonal vs. nodal pricing in electricity markets on 25 January 2019, Valerie Reif (FSR) interviews a panellist from the Austrian regulatory authority. Christine Materazzi-Wagner, Director Electricity at E-Control, talks about her personal take-aways from the workshop, the EU target model for electricity and the possibilities of moving towards a nodal approach in Europe. She also shares her views on recent market developments in Austria In the context of the German-Austrian bidding zone split in October 2018.
At the IRENA General Assembly, Swetha Bhagwat (FSR Global) interviews Andris Piebalgs, FSR Part-time Professor and one of the authors of the Global Commission’s Report launched on 11 January in Abu Dhabi. The Report presents the first-ever comprehensive analysis of the far-reaching geopolitical consequences driven by the rapid development of renewable energy and it suggests several areas where international cooperation would help countries to mitigate the emerging risks emerging like cybersecurity, trade in electricity and clean energy technologies, critical materials.
More info here: http://fsr.eui.eu/fsr-in-abu-dhabi-for-the-launch-of-new-world-the-geopolitics-of-the-energy-transformation/
Find the report here: http://www.geopoliticsofrenewables.org/
At the IRENA Assembly held in January 2019 in Abu Dhabi, the FSR Director, Jean-Michel Glachant and the Head of FSR Global, Swetha Bhagwat interview Paul Van Son, CEO of DII.
What are the real cost levels of renewables (Solar and Wind) today? What should be the next measures to take and what are the roadblocks in policy and regulation?
Learn more about the IRENA Assembly here: https://www.irena.org/events/2019/Jan/Ninth-Session-of-the-IRENA-Assembly
FutureGas project looks into the ways the gas sector could be integrated in the Danish energy system and contribute to clean energy transition e.g. through the injection of green gas. The researchers from Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and key stakeholders of the Danish gas industry have been working with 18 international partners (including Florence School of Regulation) to pursue the research on the potential opportunities across the gas value chain. Moreover, the project looks into different national experiences with renewable gas injection and the support systems. This four-year project (2016-2020) is funded by Innovation Fund Denmark. In this podcast, Maria Olczak (FSR) interviews Tara Sabbagh Amirkhizi (DTU) to give you some insights from the project. In the first part, the key information regarding the scope, objectives and the work packages of the project are provided. Then, we discuss how this project fits into the changing policy landscape in Denmark with the adoption of a new 55% renewables target. Tara will also shed some light on the preliminary results of the project. You can find more information, reports and presentations on the project webpage:
https://futuregas.dk/
zhttps://twitter.com/futuregasdk
In this podcast, Jessica Dabrowski (FSR) and Agnes da Costa (Director, Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy) discuss Brazil's long history of renewable energy development. Agnes provides in-depth insight on the current status of Brazil's renewable energy mix, developments in their transport sector and provides key lessons for other countries to best address challenges of the energy transition and unlock their further growth of renewable energy.
The podcast also briefly turns to the Sim, elas existem, or Yes, they exist initiative which has started as a grassroots movement by Agnes and her colleague Renata Beckert Isfer. The initative recently had the spotlight after publishing a list of 163 qualified women and handing it over to the transition team of the new government to give them the chance to appoint women to leadership positions.
*Correction Notice: 6:50 speaker mistakenly states the transport sector is leading instead of lagging behind.
In the context of the Energy Innovation Academy held in Florence on 28-30 November 2018, Tim Schittekatte (FSR) interviews one of the Academy participants, John Smith (University of Hertfordshire) who presented his work on ‘An ecological stock-flow consistent approach to macroeconomic stability, entropy, and chaos’. What do we mean by innovation? How can regulation deal with change in complex adaptive system, in the process of energy transitions?
For more information on the FSR Energy Innovation Area, please visit:
http://fsr.eui.eu/energy-innovation/
In the context of the Energy Innovation Academy held in Florence on 28-30 November 2018, the FSR Director Jean-Michel Glachant interviews Miguel Vazquez, Head of the recently launched Energy Innovation Area. Regulation in times of innovation: how to deal with complexity and uncertainty? The new FSR area provides a platform for research, training and policy discussion to respond to those challenges.
More information here: http://fsr.eui.eu/energy-innovation/
The EU-funded SmartNet project http://fsr.eui.eu/event/smartnet-workshop-series/ organised in Florence (24 to 26 October) aimed to present the recent development of this research project and get feedback from different participants (TSOs/DSOs, regulators and utilities) on topics related to the coordination between TSOs and DSOs for the access to flexibility services. In this podcast, Athir Nouicer (FSR) interviews David Ziegler from Germany, a participant of the first day of the workshop, to share with you some insights from the project and also how the project could feed the EU regulations; Clean Energy Package and Network Codes. Different TSO-DSO coordination schemes were compared with reference to three national cases (Italian, Danish, and Spanish) against a set of metrics: mFRR, aFRR cost and ICT cost as well as CO2 emissions and unexpected congestions. This aims to reduce the project complexity and provide a straightforward cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of the different alternatives. In addition, three physical pilots were implemented to demonstrate the modalities for exchanging monitoring and control signals between TSOs, DSOs and flexibility providers.
The EU-funded SmartNet project is attracting interest from Europe and beyond. Professor Luis Ochoa (https://bit.ly/2Pj4pRa), from the University of Melbourne (Australia), joined the workshop http://fsr.eui.eu/event/smartnet-workshop-series/ organised in Florence to explore the latest novelties on related topics with a global relevance: the integration of the growing number of distributed energy resources (DER) and the coordination of transmission and distribution electricity systems. In this podcasts with Nicolò Rossetto (FSR), Professor Ochoa reflects on the difficulty of addressing the issue, especially considering the growing expectation to use DER not only to supply flexibility to the transmission system, but also to provide flexibility to the local grid. Market-based integration of DER requires coordination of the market at the local level with the market at the transmission (wholesale) level, taking into account the numerous issues that arise when dealing with low voltages and radial grids. Australia, a country with one of the highest penetration of residential PV in the world, is particularly sensitive to this issue. Aggregators and platforms for DER to access the market are emerging, but for the moment they address only the wholesale market. “Local markets” do not yet exists.
On the sideline of the FSR Policy Advisory Council meeting on the 5th and 6th of November 2018, Christophe Poillion (Vice President of European Affairs, GRT Gaz) and Tara Amirkhizi (Visiting PhD student, FSR) discuss the power to gas technology and the experience the French gas TSO has had with it so far.
In an energy grid that perceives power and gas as a whole, Christophe describes power to gas as a conversion technology that can allow the already established gas grid to offer capacity and flexibility to the full energy system. Besides the grid services, power to gas is also a carbon capturing technology. Using the hydrogen from P2G, CO2 is converted to Syngas and be used in the gas grid.
Pilot projects, such as the French project Jupiter 1000, are an approach for European TSOs to gain the technological expertise for the operation of power to gas facilities. These projects enable this technology to reach a certain maturity level, in order to be competitive. Besides the technology maturity, a well-functioning CO2 market and regulatory frameworks are also crucial in order to make the power to gas technology market ready.
Recently, reliability options were implemented as part of the new Irish integrated single electricity market (I-SEM). Thus becoming the first European Union Member state implement this capacity remuneration mechanism design. Pradyumna Bhagwat (FSR) discusses with Barry Hussey, Manager at the Irish Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), about his thoughts on reliability options in Ireland and the experience with the recently held first auction.
In a ruling from the WTO, published on 10 August 2018, several of Russia’s arguments regarding the alleged incompatibility of the EU’s energy policy measures with multilateral trade rules were dismissed. But was it a total defeat for Russia? In this podcast Moritz Wüstenberg, a researcher at the University of Eastern Finland, discusses the ruling and its wider implications.
Following Russia’s withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty in 2009, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules offer the only comprehensive regulatory framework for EU- Russia energy trading, which means that the compatibility of WTO rules with the EU energy policy is vital. The key ambition of the Third Energy Package was to advance the integration of the internal energy market, and thus it contains legislation on unbundling – the separation of energy supply and generation from the operation of transmission networks, non-discriminatory access to energy infrastructures and the independence of national energy regulators. Russia had claimed that the EU was discriminating against Russia in the Package with regard to Russian pipeline transport services, service suppliers, and Russian natural gas. What standing does Russia have following the findings in WTO’s panel report? Should the findings of the report be refuted? Take a listen to our podcast to find out more.
For the WTO report on the case, please follow the link: https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news18_e/476r_e.htm
and for a brief history of the case, from the EC perspective, click on: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/wtodispute/show.cfm?id=644&code=2
Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Dr Carlo Stagnaro (Istituto Bruno Leoni, IBL) reflect on the potential benefits of competition in retail electricity markets and briefly discuss the situation in Italy, where a standard regulated offer, called “Maggior Tutela” in Italian, is available to households and small companies. According to Dr Stagnaro, the offer’s design nurtures consumers’ inertia and market concentration, limiting the ability and willingness of energy suppliers to develop innovative solutions and products. A proposal to accelerate the transition to a genuinely competitive and dynamic retail market is presented at the end.
Interested in learning more about the Italian situation and the policy proposal? Read the recently published FSR working paper on the topic:
http://fsr.eui.eu/publications/managing-the-liberalization-of-italys-retail-electricity-market-a-policy-proposal/
In this podcast, Dr. Tanya Harrington delves into the complex geopolitical, economic, and legal issues surrounding Brexit and the Irish electricity market. For more details, see here: http://fsr.eui.eu/the-irish-question-brexit-and-the-i-sem/
Energy poverty is a widespread and even growing reality across Europe. The EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU SILC) measured in 2013 shows that 10.7% of the population (approximately 54 million people) are unable to afford basic levels of energy for essential needs. Listen to Prof Pippo Ranci from FSR, and Prof Stefan Bouzarovski from Manchester University discuss; some of the EU energy poverty initiatives, challenges and ways to put the topic of energy poverty at the centre of energy policy discussions.
In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) poses several questions to Miguel Pardo (Endesa) about the pilot project being carried out in Barcelona.
Vodafone, which is among the several partners involved, owns 20 radio base stations that are used as distributed energy resources (DER). Such stations participate in a simulated local market and provide ancillary services for the efficient and secure functioning of the electricity system. According to Mr Pardo, the pilot is proving the feasibility of the concept proposed. At the same time, Vodafone is showing interest in continuing the cooperation and applying the same business model on a broader scale. Final results of the pilot will be available in the coming months.
More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/.
In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, Athir Nouicer (FSR) interviewed Dr. Tomás Gómez San Román, Professor at Comillas Pontifical University, about the impacts of the SmartNet project on the future of electricity markets.
SmartNet has three pilot projects (in Italy, Denmark and Spain) that address technical issues related to system operation and test the different TSO/DSO coordination schemes, which can be hard to assess even for regulators. Dr. Tomás Gómez highlighted the need to improve TSO/DSO cooperation to ease access to flexibility services located in distribution grids, and emphasised the challenges of integrating market and networks models in these kinds of research projects. The added value of the SmartNet project is providing insights for the development of a legal framework in Europe.
More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/.
Before the start of the SmartNet workshop in Brussels on the 20 June, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) had the opportunity to talk with Gianluigi Migliavacca (RSE) about the importance of the project and the insights that it is expected to provide to policy-makers, regulators, network companies, and market players.
SmartNet is testing different coordination mechanisms for the efficient and secure management of distributed energy resources as providers of ancillary services to the electricity system. Three pilot projects are underway, respectively in Italy, Spain and Denmark, with the involvement of TSOs, DSOs, aggregators, research institutes, energy consumers, etc. Next October, detailed results on the pilot projects and the research promoted within SmartNet will be presented in Florence.
More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/.
Listen to our interview with Tony Imaduwa, CEO of Seychelles Energy Commission, conducted during the first Regional Forum on Sustainable Energy in Mauritius from May 28-30, 2018. Tony discusses the role of the Seychelles Energy Commission, the regulatory challenges that are hindering the energy transition, and the measures that have been introduced to address these challenges.
Listen to our interview with Laurent Sam, Engineer at Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), Seychelles, at the first Regional Forum of on Sustainable Energy at Mauritius from May 28-30, 2018.
Laurent discusses the key challenges such as resource mapping, renewable energy planning, grid management and efficient use of funding while integrating renewables into the power system.
visit the Florence School of Regulation website: fsr.eui.eu
In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, Athir Nouicer (FSR) interviewed Helena Gerard, Senior Researcher at VITO/EnergyVille, for insight on the five TSO-DSO coordination schemes analysed by the SmartNet Project.
A Horizon 2020 funded project, SmartNet attempts to find answers and propose new practical solutions to the integration of growing renewable energy sources (RES) in the existing European electricity network. The project aims to provide optimised instruments and modalities to improve the coordination between grid operators at national and local level, and to advance the exchange of information for monitoring the acquisition of ancillary services from resources located in the distribution grids. With the development of renewables and the electrification of energy end-uses, the electricity system requires more flexibility. At the same time, more flexible resources are available at the local level. As argued in the interview, a smart allocation of these flexibility resources between the system operators will be essential for the achievement of the European energy policy goals.
More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/
In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, N. Rossetto (FSR) interviewed SmartNet team member H. Madsen (DTU) to discuss the importance and impact of SmartNet pilot project B.
The pilot is based in Denmark, where the abundance of wind energy requires a smart approach to achieve decarbonisation of the power sector efficiently. In such a context, the electricity load from final customers must contribute and provide flexibility to the system. As a part of the pilot, the heated swimming pools of thirty summerhouses are managed so that they can provide ancillary services when the electricity grid faces difficulties in dealing with renewable production. Active participation of the demand side is key to foster the energy transition and can lead to significant savings for the final customer. However, in order for this to happen, policy-makers and regulators need to act: smart behaviours by network operators and market actors may not materialise without proper network tariffs and energy taxation.
More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/
In this podcast, Panagiotis Tsangaris, alumnus of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, discusses the competition law and regulation issues that arise as a result of capacity withdrawals in the electricity wholesale markets, exploring the application of Article 102 TFEU and the terms of Regulation 1227/2011 (REMIT).
visit the Florence School of Regulation website: fsr.eui.eu
In electricity wholesale markets, market power is mainly exercised either by withdrawing generation capacity (physical withdrawal) or by pricing it above competitive levels (economic withdrawal) in order to achieve a higher market price and, thereby, increase revenue. Inevitably, capacity withdrawal practices can be damaging for both the market and consumers. Thus, the ability of competent authorities to intervene against practices of physical and economic withholding of capacity is crucial. As with any other form of market abuse, the physical and economic withholding of capacity is subject to the application of competition law, in particular Article 102 TFEU. In addition, Regulation 1227/2011 on wholesale market integrity and transparency (REMIT) also enhances transparency in wholesale energy markets and prohibits any acts of market manipulation on wholesale energy markets and may be turned to in order to deal with capacity withdrawal practices. Panagiotis Tsangaris discusses the scope and application of both, as well as the roles of ACER and the NRAs in monitoring the markets, the definition and geographic delineation of the markets in an increasingly interconnected and integrated market across Europe, and the challenges of determining market dominance. For more, you can see Panagiotis Tsangaris’ recent publication here: https://www.springer.com/de/book/9783662555125?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction_authors&utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink_PID8793001&utm_content=deeplink
Malagasy regulator's view on the electrification and clean energy transition in Madagascar.
Listen to our interview with Ms Ketakandriana Rabemananjara, Director (Legal) of Office de Régulation de l'Electricité (ORE), Madagascar, at the first Regional Forum of on Sustainable Energy at Mauritius from May 28-30, 2018. Ms Ketakandriana discussed the dual challenge of electrifying while transitioning to a clean energy system. In particular how the regulator can play an active role in helping to step up the implementation.
Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Thierry Lepercq (Engie) discuss the way Engie, a major European energy company, is dealing with the series of disruptions that are affecting the energy business, both electricity and gas. Engie is navigating through the changes in Europe and beyond, and has decided to sell or close some of its less profitable assets in power generation. At the same time, Engie is looking towards the future by investing in renewables. According to Mr Lepercq the future is the exploitation of solar energy in prime locations around the world, like Chile or Australia, to produce hydrogen and then deliver it to Europe at a final cost that is in line with that of liquefied natural gas. This could possibly contribute to the decarbonisation of the gas sector, safeguarding the European gas grid form becoming a stranded asset. Hydrogen could then be used for district heating and power generation, solving the issue of the intermittency and seasonality of most renewables. A 100% renewable future would become much easier and cheaper to achieve. In line with this vision, large energy companies will continue to play a key role, even if large power plants will decrease in relevance.
In the framework of the 7th World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER), ICER Women in Energy and FSR teamed up to ‘give a voice’ to women professionals actively contributing to the event.
In this podcast, Swetha Bhagwat (FSR) interviews Ifey Ikeonu, a successful energy policy and regulation consultant with over 25 years of experience. Ms Ikeonu discusses her role in various power sector reform programmes, highlighting the main pioneering efforts put in place to establish the regulatory framework for the electricity market of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Prior to her current position, she helped found the Nigerian Energy Regulatory Commission and was one of the first commissioners for ECOWAS. The ECOWAS region is low on access to energy but it is high on innovation and motivation. In this podcast Ifey discusses her career path and explains the importance of innovation and regulatory framework in the energy sector in order to attract investment to help build the sector.
Later in the podcast she goes on to explain the large gender gaps that she has noticed in the energy sector. In a male-dominated sector, she acknowledges that her presence and leadership is unique. She notes that there are drastic gender imbalances in energy access and energy leadership specifically in Africa. Ifey actively empowers and mentors women and hopes to see more women leaders in the energy sector.
She discusses two very different sides of the coin when it comes to gender and energy. On one side, years of working in the sector have opened her eyes to the massive lack of women’s representation and participation in the sector, especially when it comes to male dominated executive positions. On the other side, she stresses that the lack of energy access disproportionally effects nearly every aspect of women’s lives — from meeting their basic needs, like having electricity for food refrigeration and light for reading, to increasing their participation in the workforce and public life of their communities.
Check out more podcasts like this one and learn more about the Lights on Women Initiative here: https://bit.ly/31bDjPY
In the framework of the 7th World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER), ICER Women in Energy and FSR teamed up to ‘give a voice’ to women professionals actively contributing to the event.
Diane X. Burman serves as a Commissioner of the New York State Public Service Commission, which regulates the state’s electric, gas, steam, telecommunications, and water utilities. The Commission focuses on the provision of safe, reliable and affordable services across all sectors, working with both industry and consumers to ensure that regulations are effective, flexible and fluid to adapt to the changes and challenges faced by those sectors. In this podcast, Diane and Swetha discuss the ways women from different professional, economic and cultural backgrounds find innovative ways to work towards greater access to energy. According to Diane, women working in energy, although still underrepresented, are changing the energy sector with their versatility, wealth of diverse knowledge and solution-driven mindsets. She explains that the collaborative approach which women bring to the table is key to the energy transition, and that they must engage in every level of the workforce to ensure its success. Diane uses her role to make sure that women’s voices and inputs are heard and implemented so that the sector becomes increasingly inclusive and open to new, diverse perspectives.
Check out more podcasts like this one and learn more about the Lights on Women Initiative here: medium.com/lights-on-women/
In the framework of the 7th World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER), ICER Women in Energy and FSR teamed up to ‘give a voice’ to women professionals actively contributing to the event.
Annegret Groebel is Vice-President at CEER and Head of the International Relations Department at BNetzA, Germany’s multisector regulatory authority.
In this podcast, she sheds light on BNetzA’s approach and discusses the main similarities and differences when it comes to a ‘multisector regulation’. Network industries under the supervision of BNetzA share similar cost structures and face the problem of recovering sunk costs. The challenge for regulators is then to assess those costs and ensure an adequate structure and level of the network tariff paid by network users.
However, regulators like BNetzA play a role also in ensuring the integrity and transparency of the wholesale markets, as mandated in the EU by REMIT.
As a concluding remark, Ms Groebel stresses the importance of looking at the regulatory experience of other countries and other sectors. Knowledge sharing, eagerness to learn and cooperation are essential to avoid mistakes and improve the regulation of the industries under the oversight of NRAs.
Check out more podcasts like this one and learn more about the Lights on Women Initiative here: medium.com/lights-on-women/
In the framework of the 7th World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER), ICER Women in Energy and FSR teamed up to ‘give a voice’ to women professionals actively contributing to the event.
Christina Espinosa is founder and CEO of GenteGas, a social enterprise in Guatemala, helping local households reducing the entry costs of modern and clean gas stoves and fuels.
By easing access to clean cooking facilities and LPG, fostering education and raising public awareness, GenteGas aims to eradicate families’ exposure to indoor air pollution and the related health problems.
In this podcast, Christina explains her leading motivations in founding GenteGas; she also provides an interesting analysis of the local context and the main challenges that led to the development of an ecosystem approach within GenteGas.
As a concluding remark, Ms Espinosa highlights the importance of educating and informing households and communities: a full understanding of the energy sources and technologies available is essential for the adoption of the most efficient and environmentally friendly solutions.
Check out more podcasts like this one and learn more about the Lights on Women Initiative here: medium.com/lights-on-women/
In the framework of the 7th World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER), ICER Women in Energy and FSR teamed up to ‘give a voice’ to women professionals actively contributing to the event.
Patricia de Suzzoni is currently the Advisor to the President at CRE, the French regulatory authority. As Patricia has filled so many different roles in the energy and telecom sectors, we asked her about the main challenges, as well as opportunities, she faced while transitioning from industry to the public sector. After giving some insight on her experiences, Patricia discusses the similarities between the regulation of energy and the regulation of telecoms and highlights the lessons that can be learned, given that the two sectors are increasingly facing the same challenges. (e.g. data privacy and cybersecurity)
Check out more podcasts like this one and learn more about the Lights on Women Initiative here: medium.com/lights-on-women/
In the framework of the 7th World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER), ICER Women in Energy and FSR teamed up to ‘give a voice’ to women professionals actively contributing to the event.
Marie-Pierre Fauconnier is President of the Board of Directors at CREG and Vice President of CEER. During the interview with Swetha Bhagwat (FSR), her first remark highlighted how the role of women has changed in the energy sector: 25 years ago, they were very few, while today, although still a clear minority, they are gaining more and more space and responsibilities.
According to Ms. Fauconnier, the two biggest challenges the energy sector will be facing in the upcoming future are the integration of RES in the energy mix and the impact of digitalisation and new technologies. These “novelties” generate both opportunities and threats. It is crucial for energy regulators to ensure that ‘every customer is onboard’ so that no one is left behind.
Digitalisation and the speedy adoption of fast-changing technologies are challenging the very same way regulators work and operated. New skills and approaches are needed to cope the energy transition. Women can provide an important contribution in this regard.
Check out more podcasts like this one and learn more about the Lights on Women Initiative here: medium.com/lights-on-women/
In the framework of the 7th World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER), ICER Women in Energy and FSR teamed up to ‘give a voice’ to women professionals actively contributing to the event
Bevan Flansburg is the Deputy Director in the International Department at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). In this podcast, Bevan and Swetha start off by discussing sustainable energy regulation on a global level and economic and clean energy factors regulators must take into consideration to create sound regulation. Bevan sheds light on the capacity building programs she and her team work on in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East as well as the regional partnerships which she has designed throughout her career, including the West Africa Regional Regulatory Partnership and the East Africa Regional Regulatory Partnership. Tapping into the knowledge of public utility regulators across the United States, those programmes and partnerships use peer to peer engagements to provide strategic support, ensuring that regulators in developing countries acquire the knowledge they need in order to make tangible improvements in energy regulation. A main challenge Bevan mentions regarding the regional efforts is to find a common thread between the countries who have similar regulatory goals but need a tailored approach to achieve them. Her team uses a consensus-driven approach to provide tailored support to regulators, giving them the tools they need to build effective clean energy policies within their national action plans.
Check out more podcasts like this one and learn more about the Lights on Women Initiative here: medium.com/lights-on-women/
In the framework of the 7th World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER), ICER Women in Energy and FSR teamed up to ‘give a voice’ to women professionals actively contributing to the event.
Aida Sitdikova is EBRD Director for Energy and Natural Resources for Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia. In this podcast, Aida explains the ‘energy transition’ in the Eurasian and Caucasus context. EBRD is committed to supporting a regional shift towards affordable, secure, reliable and sustainable energy despite the specific geopolitical context and constraints. However, fossil fuels are still largely used, have a strong political impact and represent large employment sectors for local populations. Therefore, transition in these countries will probably first move from coal to gas and only at a later stage to renewables. An example of this slow but steady transition is Kazakhstan.
Financing the transition is also challenging: fossil fuels’ strong legacy, lack of infrastructure, affordability and poor education are only a few of the main obstacles. There is a clear absence of local capital markets for long-term investments making it crucial for governments to adopt policies that attract investments and incentivize further developments in the energy sector. In this regard, EBRD is fully active, trying to attract actors from outside the region, provide expertise and advice, and monitor the implementation of the national policies.
Since 2013, EBRD has not financed any new coal-fired power plant but rather promoted the installation or upgrade of renewable power plants and the development of transmission and distribution grids. Attention is devoted to natural gas too, given its role as a transition fuel necessary for coal replacement.
As concluding remark, Ms Sitdikova stresses the importance for institutions like EBRD to adopt and promote inclusive and gender balance policies, both within and outside the institutions. Opening job opportunities to women in the energy sector and granting them equal conditions is fundamental for the development of countries like those in Central Asia.
Check out more podcasts like this one and learn more about the Lights on Women Initiative here: medium.com/lights-on-women/
Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Apostolos Gkizas (Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy, RAE) discuss the most recent developments in the Greek renewable energy sector. Greece is not yet on track to achieve its 2020 target for renewables, but decarbonization of electricity generation is moving forward. RAE plays a decisive role in the field of electric renewables: from the licencing of RES plants to the auctioning of support schemes for new projects, and from the monitoring of projects’ implementation to the definition of electricity tariffs for cost recovery. The successful implementation of the auctions planned up to 2020 and the issue of saturated networks in some parts of the country are important challenges for RAE, which also has to cope with a significant understaffing due to recently imposed budget cuts.
At the Energy Infrastructure Forum in Copenhagen, Pradyumna Bhagwat (FSR) spoke to Rosemary Steen (Director External Affairs - Eirgrid) about her thoughts on the topic digitization of the grids.
Digitization would be an enabler for consumer participation but some cyber security threats do exist as was discussed at the Forum. Another valuable insight from the forum was the different experiences of member states with smart meters.
visit the Florence School of Regulation website: fsr.eui.eu
At the sidelines of the State of the Union 2018, Jean-Michel Glachant (Director FSR) and Catia Bastioli (Chairwoman Terna) discuss the new industrial plan of Terna, the Italian TSO for electricity. The plan foresees a 5.3 billion euro of investment in the 2018-2022 period and is going to focus on sustainability and territories.
Ms Bastioli highlights the importance of a global vision while keeping the “roots” in the local communities and territories. Undeniably, the major obstacle to the energy transition is not the lack of technologies but the limited ability so far to involve regions and communities actively in the transition.
Industrial players and institutions must be transparent, include people and propose solutions that create trust and lead to the regeneration of territories and communities. This move is indispensable to reconcile the needs of the economy and climate with the needs and aspiration of society. Without it, the acceptability and the speed of the energy transition cannot be given for granted.
visit the Florence School of Regulation website: fsr.eui.eu
Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Asta Sihvonen-Punkka (Fingrid) exchange views about the digitalisation of the energy sector. The massive deployment of renewables and advancements in the ICT field are making a deeper digitalisation of the energy sector both possible and increasingly necessary. As a result, it is possible to detect a greater parallel with the telecom sector, especially in terms of cybersecurity challenges. European energy companies are beginning to understand the importance of cybersecurity and are catching up quickly. A regulatory framework is being built, but there is still a lot of work to do to ensure that companies receive the right incentives and properly address the issue of cybersecurity. Sharing experiences and best practices among companies and regulators is vital in this respect.
Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Thomas Pearce (NARUC) discuss the issue of cybersecurity in the energy sector. Cybersecurity is attracting growing interest from companies and regulators around the world, largely because the associated costs are increasing and becoming more visible. Special attention from the regulators is then necessary. In the US, the 50 state jurisdictions plus the District of Columbia are putting in place different approaches, while sharing the same goal of enhanced cybersecurity protection for the utility systems they regulate. The differences in their approach often stem from each state's varying regulatory framework: some have vertically integrated utilities, while others introduced unbundling and competition. Furthermore, some states have made more progress, while others are still defining their policy and looking for the best practices around the country. Indeed, both Europe and the US could learn from each other by sharing early experiences and reflections on an issue that is becoming increasingly relevant in the energy sector.
In this podcast, Maria Olczak (FSR) interviews Adina Crisan-Revol (Team Leader at DG ENER, UNIT B1) to discuss the Projects of Common Interests (PCI). Mrs Crisan-Revol explains what the PCI is, and the benefits it brings to the EU energy market and EU consumers.
Since 2013, the PCI list is updated every 2 years. The third list has been proposed by the European Commission in November 2017 and has been already adopted by the Council and the European Parliament. Mrs Crisan-Revol addresses the key changes recently introduced by the European Commission in order to ensure that the third PCI list better aligned with the EU longer-term targets.
Recorded at the Specialised Training on the Regulation of Gas Markets in Florence, 21 March 2018.
At the margins of the World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER) in Cancun, Jean-Michel Glachant (Florence School of Regulation) interviews Marcelino Madrigal from the Comisión Reguladora de Energía (CRE) about the recent reform of Mexico's energy system. The reform is all-encompassing, covering oil, natural gas and electricity at the same time; it is far-reaching too, because it introduces competition and freedom of choice for consumers. The power sector, for instance, has been unbundled and long-term contracts for the purchase of electricity from renewable sources have been successfully auctioned. Within this major reform, CRE is performing several important tasks, like defining transmission and distribution tariffs and promoting a competitive retail market, where consumers are empowered. In this transition, Europe is seen as a reference case, in both positive and in negative ways, which emerging countries have to take into consideration, while not forgetting the significant differences in their social and economic context (positive demand growth, high energy losses, vulnerable consumers to protect; etc.).
During the Smartnet Advisory meeting held in Glasgow in January 2018, we had the chance to interview Steven Atkins from the Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks and exchange ideas on the key aspects and links between our project and the SSEN initiatives in the same field.
For more information on the SmartNet Project: http://smartnet-project.eu/
Given its current carbon intensity, the power industry is particularly sensitive to the reform of the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). Eurelectric, the association representing many of the big players in electricity generation, has a broadly positive view on the reform that has been recently approved by the Council and the European Parliament. Nevertheless, it is interesting to hear that for the largest power producers a price on carbon is not the only important factor that will steer the industry towards full decarbonisation by the middle of the century. Many other issues must be addressed, and the uncertainty that investors are currently facing is particularly important. Investment signals based on long-term electricity purchase agreements could become one of the key pillars of a new market design. Indeed, long-term contracts can efficiently complement short-term flexibility markets and ensure security of supply, decarbonisation and competitiveness for the power sector.
These are exciting times in the role of energy, the way people produce and consume is changing in front of our eyes…” and that’s where Lynne Mc Donald (UK Power Networks), who joined the Advisory Board of the SmartNet Project in Glasgow, sees the benefit of the SmartNet project. The SmartNet project arises from the need to find answers and propose new practical solutions to the increasing integration of Renewable Energy Sources in the existing electricity transmission network. The subsequent technological (r)evolution is not only affecting the structure of the electricity markets, but also the interactions between TSOs and DSOs. Learn more on the project here: http://smartnet-project.eu
What lessons from the SmartNet Project? Interviews with the stakeholders #1: Andrew Burgess (CEER, OFGEM) ‘What is interesting of the SmartNet project is that it’s looking at difficult issues in detail and it’s trialling them to see what works’ Highlights from the SmartNet Project Advisory Board (Glasgow - February 2018)
The EU Horizon2020 funded SmartNet project arises from the need to find answers and propose new practical solutions to the increasing integration of Renewable Energy Sources in the existing electricity transmission network. http://smartnet-project.eu/
The Euratom Treaty, signed in Rome on 25 March 1957, established the European Atomic Energy Community, alongside the European Economic Community (EEC). Its function is to provide a regulatory and cooperative framework which governs the development of nuclear energy and its trade across Europe, a kind of ‘nuclear common market’, which also funds cross-border research and development projects, upholds safety standards and procedures, notifies the potential impact of activities on other Member States, and ensures that nuclear materials are not deployed for military use. Euratom has established nuclear cooperation agreements with third countries, including Canada, Japan, and the USA, and sets out provisions for international compliance with nuclear safeguards. Euratom also reports to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). While a separate legal entity from the EU, it is tied to its laws and institutions, and subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). No country is a full member of Euratom without being a full member of the EU. On 29 March 2017, the triggering of Article 50, signalling the UK’s departure from the EU, also incorporated the UK’s withdrawal from the Euratom Treaty of which they had been members since they joined the EEC in 1973. While legal opinion is divided as to whether exiting the EU also forced an exit from Euratom, as a concomitant requirement of leaving the bloc, Theresa May argued for its inclusion on the grounds of ending the supremacy of EU law over domestic law. What are the possible repercussions of exiting the treaty for both the UK and the EU? Given the UK’s commitment to a nuclear future, as evident by the recent investment in Hinkley Point, and the UK’s deep-seated integration in the EU nuclear energy market, how might the UK attempt to establish itself independent of the legislation, regulatory expectations and terms of compliance set out by Euratom? During the European Union (withdrawal) bill debate on 13 December 2017, the Minister of State for Courts and Justice, said that the UK government intended to retain a close association with Euratom. Could associate membership, à la Switzerland and Ukraine, be an option? How would that be reconciled with an absolutist position on ECJ interference? What does it mean for the research projects dependent on funding from Euratom members, such as that at Culham Oxfordshire? Could the UK be sidelined from lucrative nuclear trade agreements with third parties? With replacement provisions yet to be determined, industry warnings suggest that the UK’s exit from Euratom could cause a major disruption to the entire nuclear fuel cycle. In this podcast, Silke Goldberg from Herbert Smith Freehills discusses the UK’s position, the legal terms of their exit, and the potential consequences of their withdrawal.
Competitiveness of wholesale energy markets is a fundamental goal of the EU since more than 20 years. Recently, specific pieces of legislation like REMIT have been introduced to foster market transparency and integrity. According to Clara Poletti – Head of the Energy Division at the Italian energy regulator ARERA (formerly known as AEEGSI) – national energy regulators are used to cooperate with national competition authorities and the European Commission to promote competition both ex-ante and ex-post. They are now obliged to adapt their procedures and praxis to the new rules. Beside traditional issues like abuse of market power and market foreclosure, they need to consider further cases of market abuse, not necessarily implemented by dominant players. Harmonised implementation across Europe is vital.
A relevant example is represented by excessive pricing. Unfortunately, due to the current deployment of more capital intensive electricity generation technologies, it is more and more difficult to assess whether a price is excessive or not. In other words: are the high prices recorded from time to time on wholesale markets the result of scarcity or the consequence of market power and other unfair conducts by market players? Academics are invited to contribute to the discussion.
At the margins of the residential part of the Annual Training on the Regulation of Energy Utilities, Maria Olczak (FSR) talks with Aad Correljé (Clingendael, TU Delft) about LNG markets. In February 2016, the European Commission has published an EU strategy for liquefied natural gas and gas storage as a part of its sustainable energy security package. The LNG is perceived as an important element for ensuring energy security, especially in regions currently dependent on a single gas supplier, and hence vulnerable to any supply disruptions. Nevertheless, European countries need to compete with other markets, especially the Asiatic ones for the delivery of LNG. So far Europe has been perceived as a “market of last resort”, since LNG exporters have been targeting the premium consumers in Asia. Given that domestic gas production in Europe is declining faster than expected, competition for access to energy supplies will likely increase in the future.. Aad addresses two main questions - what will be the role for Europe in global LNG markets? And what will be the role of LNG in the European energy mix?
At the margins of the residential part of the Annual Training on the Regulation of Energy Utilities, Maria Olczak (FSR) discusses with Sergio Ascari (FSR; REF, Ricerche per l’Economia e la Finanza) current developments in Ukrainian gas market. In June 2017, at the latest meeting of the Eastern Partnership Platform 3 on Energy Security, the FSR has presented its recent study on Ukrainian gas market reforms. Sergio Ascari, who is one of the authors of the report, explains the main findings of the study.
In the second part of the interview, Sergio Ascari explains the situation in Central and Eastern European countries, which was one of the regions that suffered the most during the 2009 gas crisis, but also invested heavily in the development of new infrastructure. However, security is not just a matter of hardware: infrastructures need to be complemented by the adoption of efficient market arrangements, i.e. a proper software.
In this podcast, Szymon Zaręba from the Polish Institute of International Affairs discusses the legislative developments surrounding the controversial Opal gas pipeline. The Opal pipeline was established in 2011 to export natural gas from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline across Germany to the Czech border, with it currently connecting with the JAGAL and STEGAL pipelines in Germany. Given the EU’s long-standing efforts to curtail the export monopoly of the Russian state-owned Gazprom, and with Russian gas still accounting for a third of Europe’s energy supplies, the pipeline remains one of the EU’s central energy disputes with Russia and has become a playing field for the exercise of EU law. Zaręba outlines the history of the pipeline project and details the complex legal developments surrounding its usage.
Did you miss our webinar with Professor Kim Talus on the Baltic Sea Pipelines and EU law? You can catch the recording here: http://fsr.eui.eu/event/webinar-baltic-sea-pipelines-eu-law/
In 2016, Ukraine proposed for the re-establishment of an independent national energy and utilities regulatory body. The Draft Law No 2966-d, “On the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities Sector”, was signed into law by the President of Ukraine on 22 November 2016 following a decade-long campaign. This marks a significant step toward creating a competitive energy market in Ukraine, a reliable regulatory environment, and a meaningful reform of the country’s energy sector. The new law was developed in line with the Energy Community Treaty and Ukraine’s obligations to implement the EU’s Third Energy Package. Up until this point, the activities of the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission of Ukraine (NEURC) had been governed by a series of legislative acts and could be dissolved on the basis of a presidential decision. Under the new law, the regulator’s functions shall include the issuing of resolutions, orders and regulatory acts, licensing conditions and the granting of licences in the electricity and gas market and public utilities sector, the setting of tariffs, and the supervision, monitoring and control of market players. The law also introduces extensive transparency obligations, a rotation procedure for commissioners, and seeks to limit political interference by prohibiting governmental officials, municipalities, political parties, and any other legal entities or individuals from giving any instructions, orders or requests to the regulator. In this podcast, Olena Pavlenko, of Ukrainian think tank DiXi Group, traces the backdrop to this development, outlines how the new regulator will function in effect, and discusses the implications of its establishment.
There is no single way to organize the electricity industry at the world level. In the EU the industry is liberalized and the competitive segments are unbundled from those related to the management and planning of the grid. On the contrary, in countries such as Thailand one or few vertically integrated companies are responsible for the whole supply chain, i.e. from the generation to the transmission and distribution of electricity. Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) had the possibility to discuss it with Thanawadee Jaem On and Nicha Saiped, two engineers employed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). During the exchange of view, it came out that EGAT is facing challenges similar to those that utilities and regulators in Europe are trying to cope with (decentralization of power production, development of prosumers, digitalization). Interestingly enough, also in Thailand a change in gender balance is taking place with more and more women working in a sector traditionally populated by men.
Maria Olczak (FSR) and Dr. Niko Bosnjak (Energy Policy Manager at ONTRAS) discuss the integration of Electricity and Gas Networks. The rapid deployment of energy from renewable sources helps to tackle climate change, but at the same time poses new challenges to existing networks and the entire energy industry. One of them is the intermittency of renewables, since their output depends on the available sunlight, wind speeds and wave activity.
How can we manage the intermittency? One of the answers is an integration of electricity and gas networks. Dr. Bosnjak explains how the use of gas grids contributes not only to the reliability and safety of the system, but also helps to save costs, e.g. those related to power grid expansion. This is one of the findings of the study on the German energy market commissioned by the Association of German Gas Transmission System Operators (FNB Gas e.V.). In the final part of the podcast, Dr. Bosnjak discusses the key obstacles preventing the integration of electricity and gas networks.
Recorded on the 1st December 2017.
Related event: Regulatory Gaps For a Future Proof Interaction of Electricity and Gas Networks
Nicolò Rossetto (FSR Energy) and Josh Roberts (REScoop.eu) talk about the role of energy cooperatives in Europe and the role that local energy communities could play in the near future. According to Dr Roberts, citizens are getting more and more active in the energy markets, and they can play, via cooperatives and local communities, an important role in the energy transition. However, an adequate policy and regulatory framework are needed to ensure that both citizens and the whole energy system can benefit from the opportunities that new technological developments bring. The EU is important in this respect since it can promote a change in legislation that allows every European citizen to become a member of these communities, foster the energy transition and benefit from it. The proposal in the Clean Energy Package represents a potential breakthrough. However, energy communities are not a merely technical issue but should be based on the traditional principles of cooperatives, e.g. voluntary and democratic participation, social responsibility and the like. Clarifications on this point by the European co-legislators are needed.
Nicolò Rossetto (FSR Energy) and Andrea Villa (Enel) discuss the proposal on local energy communities by the European Commission. Engaging more citizens and energy customers is an important move to achieve an efficient internal market for energy and foster the transition to a decarbonised economy. At the same time, the multiplication of entities in the electricity system, each of them with specific rights and duties, can create unnecessary hurdles. Citizens should be allowed to invest in renewables and easily access the market, but no artificial and expensive segmentation of the electricity system at the local level should be introduced. Keywords: local energy communities, Clean Energy Package, electricity markets, energy cooperatives, energy transition.
Maria Olczak (FSR) and Peter Fraser (Head of Gas, Coal and Power Markets Division at IEA) discuss the key messages coming from the latest edition of World Energy Outlook published on 14 November 2017. The major observed shifts include: massive deployment and failing costs of clean energy technologies, mainly solar; the significant growth in the electrification of energy; and the changing landscape of natural gas markets. The IEA predicts that natural gas will grow much faster than the other fossil fuel, especially in developing economies.
In the second part of the interview, Peter Fraser explains how LNG is changing current global gas order and how rising LNG exports from the US are leading towards a more flexible and liquid global market, with major role of Qatar, Australia, USA.
Podcast recorded on the sidelines of the workshop “Promoting a flexible, liquid and transparent global LNG market” organized jointly by the European Commission (DG Energy) and Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Florence, 15 November 2017.
In this podcast, Dijana Dmitruk, legal advisor of the Danish Energy Agency, discusses the Danish-German cooperation agreement for mutually opened auctions of solar photovoltaics (PVs). This significant agreement allows projects located in Germany to receive support payments from the Danish state and vice versa, and may operate as a blueprint for future cooperation agreements. While cross-border cooperation has been encouraged at European level and promoted through the cooperation mechanisms put in place by Directive 2009/28/EC, there has been little uptake to date. Despite several hurdles, among them issues surrounding taxation rules and the permitting process, from an EU perspective cross-border auctions are considered to support the development of the internal market and investment in renewable energy systems. Dijana Dmitruk outlines the myriad challenges of the pilot test and what can be learned from it for future arrangements.
ENERGY REGULATION TRAINING – INDIAN OCEAN at Mauritius, July 20-21, 2017. In cooperation with Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)
This blended training cycle consisted of three blocks specifically designed to meet the learning objectives of the Indian Ocean participants. The first block was a three-day kick-off residential training which provided an introduction to power systems and grid regulation; renewable energy (RE) and how to introduce them into power systems; and how to optimise energy efficiency (EE). The second block was an eight weeks online training focusing on the regulation of power systems which allowed the participants to concentrate on the main challenges within their local setting. The third and final block of the programme was a two-day residential training which allowed the participants to present their country cases and discuss RE and EE energy regulation and energy policy issues pertinent to their nations.
Countries Participating: Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros and Réunion
Swetha RaviKumar Bhagwat Research Associate – FSR Global Florence School of Regulation
Samson Yemane Hadush Postdoctoral Research Associate Vlerick Business School
On the sidelines of the Florence School of Regulation Young Researcher’s Seminar, Pradyumna Bhagwat (FSR) and Joe Perkins (OFGEM) discuss the topics of electrical storage and electric mobility. Batteries can be expected to play a key role in providing balancing services. The trickier question is about “time-shifting”: whether batteries will provide intraday time shifting or even over a longer period. Furthermore, batteries could play a part in providing flexibility in a changing energy system.
In the context of Electric Vehicles, it is vital that we have the right networks to support EVs. The question is about getting to the most efficient solution at least possible cost. National regulatory commission in the UK is looking at pathways for supporting Electric Vehicles.
In this podcast, Antonis Metaxas and Maria Charontaki discuss the implications of the Winter Package for the Greek energy market before considering the recent legislative amendment of the Electricity Customer Supply Code. The revision aims to strengthen consumer rights by promoting a greater level of transparency as regards energy consumption, improving consumer protection, and facilitating fair competition and the switching of suppliers.
During a conference in Milan Ilaria Conti, Head of Gas at the Florence School of Regulation, interviewed Daniele Agostini (ENEL), the head of ENEL Low-carbon and EU Energy Policy. Gas and electricity utilities are currently undergoing a deep restructuring – imposed by the changes that occurred at macroeconomic and regulatory level. In particular, the pressure coming from the decarbonisation challenge in Europe is accelerating the need for every company to look for new business models and make bets on future market developments. What’s the starting point? Which are the most important elements to consider in this model shift? And what should, or could, regulators do? According to Agostini, de-carbonisation is one of the major drivers of this change and a challenge that not only Europe, but most countries around the world are or will be facing. Of course, the pressure and the speed of change imposed by decarbonisation vary considerably from country to country. Utilities do not necessarily have to adapt quickly to the new business environment, but – more importantly- they need to ensure that they are equipped with the “right instruments” to adapt to a fast-changing world. Is the market going to provide all answers? “Markets are great,” says Agostini. “But they are not perfect”. Cooperation with other sectors and dialogue with regulators and policy makers is essential to look together to the future and be ready to face its challenges. “What is important is not to lag behind. Moreover, regulatory evolution is essential to avoid market shocks” he concludes.
In the context of the first FSR Young Researcher Seminar (http://fsr.eui.eu/event/fsr-researcher-seminar/) held on 4-5 July 2017 in Florence, Luca Lo Schiavo, Infrastructure Regulation Deputy Director and Head of Innovative Regulation Unit at AEEGSI, has been interviewed about the Italian experience with smart meters by Tim Schittekatte (FSR).
Italy is an interesting case as it can be considered as one of the frontrunners in the roll-out of smart meters. Already in 2001 the first smart meters were installed in the country. Today, the second generation of smart meters is introduced. To know more about the why and how, listen to the podcast!
For more information on the topic: http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/2/199/htm
The regional approach to the internal energy market: by what means? | Alberto Pototschnig (ACER)
At the end of the Annual Conference of ACER near Ljubljana, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Alberto Pototschnig, the Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of the Energy Regulators (ACER), discuss the regional dimension of the internal energy market. Currently, there is a consensus that the EU has to move forward with regional cooperation in the field of electricity and gas. However, it is not yet clear how to implement such regionalisation. Thus far, the experience was mainly based on voluntary initiatives like the Pentalateral Energy Forum. Discussions on the matter are ongoing, with several questions hotly debated: what aspects should be part of the regional dimension? What geographical scope should the regions have? What are the most appropriate governance and regulatory frameworks for the regions? The discussion is particularly lively in the area of electricity, where ENTSO-E and the European Commission have partly diverging opinions on the issue and the legislative proposals presented at the end of 2016. There is an undisputed need for political backing to regional cooperation in electricity: for some, this requires new initiatives by the national policy-makers and regulators (NRAs), while for others the backing is already embedded in the current rules (i.e., Third Energy Package). In the latter case, regionalisation is a merely technical and regulatory issue that must be implemented by TSOs and NRAs, possibly with the contribution of ACER. Indeed, the role of ACER is becoming more important with the shift of the policy level from the Member States to the regions and the whole Europe. A stronger and better staffed ACER is required to support the regional cooperation of NRAs and ensure that regions do not diverge. Eventually, the goal is to have a European single market and not a bunch of poorly integrated regional markets.
At the margins of the RTE executive seminar, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) talks with Jean-Francois Gahungu (Coreso) about the cooperation of electricity transmission system operators at the regional level. Initiatives like the creation of Coreso in 2008 was undertaken by TSOs to ensure security of supply through better coordination and avoid disruptions to the supply of electricity like the one that happened in November 2006. Over the years, new services have been added and today Regional Security Coordinators (RSCs) like Coreso play an official role in the operation of the European transmission grid. Growing cross-border electricity trade and the integration of variable renewables make the role of such regional coordination centres more and more important. Cooperation among different RSCs is the next obvious step that Coreso and TSCnet have recently embarked on. Extreme events like the extraordinary safety control of the French nuclear fleet over the winter and the cold spell of January 2017 successfully tested the resiliency of the coordination and cooperation mechanisms put in place in Western Europe.
On the sidelines of the FSR Executive Seminar on EU Power system operation and solidarity: the issues and practices, Pradyumna Bhagwat (FSR) and Jens Møller Birkebækt (Energinet.dk) discuss the regional operation of EU power systems. It can be expected that with growing interdependencies of markets and renewable implementation, there would be greater dependence on regional coordination of all activities related to power systems. The availability of a common grid model would not only be beneficial for the operations of the TSOs but also for all customers in the future.
In the context emergency events, the risk of such events occuring will always exist. Therefore, it is important to be prepared for the restoration of the system if such low probability events do occur. Understanding how the system reacts, the adequacy of generation and the system state at a regional perspective would enable TSOs to restore the system more efficiently and may also aid in preventing crises.
After attending a conference jointly organised by Eurelectric and the Florence School of Regulation on the electricity market design of the future, Pradyumna Bhagwat (FSR) and Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) summarise their main takeaways. First, thinking out of the box is fundamental. We live in transformative times and electricity markets must be able to manage uncertainty and adapt to new, unpredictable conditions. Second, the European Commission and the electricity industry believe in the strong role free markets can play but have a different view on what those markets should look like. On the one side, scarcity pricing may scare policy-makers and investors, while on the other, capacity mechanisms may distort the internal market and hinder integration. Convergence of opinions between the industry, the Commission and most of the academics is more apparent on the need to engage consumers, foster flexibility and the breakthrough that turning reliability into a private good could represent. Finally, the parallel sessions showed how useful it is for academia and the industry to sit down together and merge their theoretical and practical knowledge to understand the current changes better and advance proposals for tackling society’s problems.
Catalyst of the utilities’ transformation: the case of new York | Scott Weiner (New York Public Service Commission)
During a conference at Columbia University Jean-Michel Glachant, director of the Florence School of Regulation, met with Scott Weiner, the deputy for market and innovation at the New York Public Service Commission. With the major wave of changes in energy transition (the three Ds: decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation), Jean-Michel wanted to discuss the role of a public service commission in this new world. According to Weiner, a commission has to implement the policy direction set at the political level and act as a catalyst for transformation, enabling society to take advantage of the opportunities the three Ds have to offer. In the case of New York, in 2012 Hurricane Sandy revealed the vulnerabilities of the utilities, the lack of system resilience and the inability to anticipate customers’ needs. In response to it, the State of New York established a “Utility 2.0” target model (Reforming the Energy Vision), where distribution grids will become platforms for the distribution of energy services, able to host massive amounts of renewables and, in general, distributed energy resources (demand response included). Initiatives from local communities and new intermediaries are expected to blossom on such platforms, allowing the direct participation of end users in energy markets and the creation of new jobs, while ensuring environmental protection. In this context, Weiner adds, a State public service commission has to coordinate and cooperate with the legislative branch, with the stakeholders and, of course, with the federal government. This is not easy, especially because in the US the choices of other States or the federal government may contradict each other or they may be less advanced or ambitious (for example, New York’s goal to build the largest electric vehicle fleet worldwide versus Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Treaty). For these reasons, it is important to continuously examine the experience of other countries and try to learn from one another.
Energy regulation in a federal country: the case of California | Chairman Michael Picker (CPUC)
Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the Florence School of Regulation, and Michael Picker, Chairman of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), discuss the roles the different levels of government play in managing the changes due to the energy transition (decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation). In California, the governor and the legislative branch set the broad policy framework and appoint the heads of the State energy agencies. The latter then implement the policies. As an example, the CPUC is responsible for regulating the development of gas and electricity infrastructure by public utilities. The Federal Government, located in Washington, D.C., played a role in the recent past by promoting investments in renewables. However, in States like California, a worldwide leader in the energy transition, the overall direction of energy and climate policy is decided, for the most part, autonomously. Due to States’ autonomy, it appears that the transition from the Obama Administration to the one of Trump may not be as consequential when all is said and done.
PETER FRASER on the need for greater consumer participation in decision-making regarding the security of supply in the electricity markets of the future.
On the sidelines of the EURELECTRIC – FSR conference on the market design of the future, Pradyumna Bhagwat (FSR) interviewed Peter Fraser, Head of the Gas, Coal and Power Markets Division at the International Energy Agency (IEA), on the need for greater participation of individual consumers in decision making regarding the security of supply. Mr Fraser supports the idea of increased participation of consumers, and in his view, such involvement would aid in providing the level of adequacy that the consumers want and demand at a reasonable price. Furthermore, he shared his thoughts on the proposals of the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package (Winter Package), highlighting his appreciation for its attempt at moving from a national to a Europe-wide context for Security of Supply. Mr. Fraser also reiterated the need for more work on enabling greater consumer involvement in deciding how much security of supply they require.
At the end of the EURELECTRIC – FSR conference on the market design of the future, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Professor Graham Weale (Bochum University) discuss the market design for electricity in 2050. Despite the relevance the European Commission attributed to scarcity prices, Professor Weale is sceptical of the idea that energy-only markets will be enough to induce and remunerate adequate investment in generation capacity. According to him, political opposition to excessively high spot prices, an increased cost of capital and the wide-ranging deployment of renewables with low variable costs can undermine a market design based on few, infrequent price spikes. A second revenue stream to remunerate capacity could be necessary for the electricity market of the future. This position is beloved by Eurelectric. At FSR we see it as controversial as it is not widely agreed upon by many scholars and practitioners. However, “retweeting is not supporting”. What is less controversial and we support is the importance to adopt a holistic and gradual approach to market reform in order to avoid unintended consequences and side-effects.
Description: Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Jean-Michel Glachant (FSR) discuss the role of the Florence Forum in the development of an internal market for electricity. Following an intense exchange of views on the European Commission’s proposal on regional cooperation and ROCs, Glachant highlights the need for coordination tools, cost and benefit sharing principles and solidarity at the European level. These three elements are necessary if Europe wants to create a seamless electricity system from Lisbon to Helsinki. Cross-border remedial actions for congestion management and crisis management are two concrete and relevant examples, where coordination, sharing and solidarity are particularly needed.
Recorded 18 May 2017, Brussels
Description: Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) and Juan Alba Rios (chairman of the EURELECTRIC Markets Committee) discuss the 2016 legislative proposals of the European Commission on a new market design for the electricity sector. Alba Rios expresses a positive view on the proposal, which strengthens the role of markets in providing signals to economic actors and acknowledges the possibility of establishing capacity remuneration mechanisms to complement the existing energy-only markets. Indeed, short-term scarcity prices are not enough to foster adequate investment decisions in generation capacity and must be supported by additional, market-based, incentives. According to EURELECTRIC, although the Commission's proposal is not perfect, it goes in the right direction and provides a good starting point for building the market design of the future.
Recorded 11 May 2017 at CEER, Brussels
Description: Nicolò Rossetto (FSR)and Ben Voorhorst (COO at TenneT, ENTSO-E)discuss the report prepared by the Florence School of Regulation on the integration and the decarbonisation of the European electricity sector. Mr Voorhorst acknowledges the relevance of the missing pillars and the roadblocks identified in the report and underlines the necessity for European policy-makers to take clear decisions regarding coordination of actions and decisions, sharing of costs and benefits, and of solidarity beyond costs and benefits. Without such basic and intrinsically political choices, technical entities like TSOs cannot provide, by their own, efficient and effective solutions enabling the full integration of the European electricity system and a smooth and speedy transition to a low-carbon economy.
In this podcast, Christopher Bremme and Thomas Schulz of Linklaters Berlin discuss the Commission’s proposed revision of the Renewable Energy Directive of 30 November 2016.
In this podcast, Rosaria Arancio of Macchi di Cellere Gangemi discusses the implementation of REMIT in Italy. REMIT is the EU Regulation on Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency (REMIT) (Regulation No. 1227/2011), overseen by ACER and National Regulatory Authorities, which aims to establish common rules, at European level, to prevent abusive practices in wholesale energy markets. It defines abusive practices in terms of market manipulation and insider trading, prohibits abusive practices in the wholesale electricity and gas markets, applies a monitoring system of the European energy markets, and gives National Regulatory Authorities powers to enforce rules, investigate and sanction misconducts. This podcast considers how the Italian regulatory authority AEEGSI has applied REMIT to Italy, including looking at recent cases where the criteria of REMIT was put into effect.
Nicolò Rossetto from the Florence School of Regulation asks Annabelle Lee from the Electric Power Research Institute a couple key questions regarding cybersecurity in the Energy Sector from a U.S. perspective.
"The issue of cybersecurity in the electric sector and gas both is of high importance and high visibility in the United States."
"Dealing with cybersecurity in the electric sector the primary importance is the reliability of the grid."
"How do you implement cybersecurity where you have a lot of very old equipment that you cannot put cyber security in? "
Ilaria Conti, Head of the Gas Area at the Florence School of Regulation talks to Jean Arnold Vinois, former director of DG Energy at the European Commission. She asks, "what is energy governance"?
Recorded in Bruges, Belgium, April 2017
"The concept of an Energy Union is already a kind of revolution where the idea is to approach energy in a holistic way"
"the first change which the Commission has brought into the Energy Union is to put the consumer first"
"the member states are going backwards because they don't want binding targets on renewals"
The Market Abuse Regulation (MAR): Technology for Meeting Market Abuse Regulation Challenges In this podcast Yasmine Li and Shane Henley, from Baringa Partners, discuss the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR), which came into force in July 2016. The new EU-wide regime, replacing the previous Market Abuse Directive (MAD), is intended to harmonise measures addressing market distortion arising from regulatory arbitrage. The regulation extends its scope to new markets and redefines the terms of market abuse, introducing some significant changes including a transaction surveillance capability. This podcast outlines the key aspects of the regulation and its compliance obligations for energy players in the wholesale markets.
Link: Accompanying slides are available here https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0TGd4_CLZXNNGdiZkhGVVpYUWc
Description: In this podcast, Deni Mantzari from the University of Reading addresses the looming effects of Brexit on the EU's internal energy market. While the terms of the UK's planned exit remain to be seen, unravelling their ties with the EU undoubtedly poses considerable challenges to an EU which is pushing toward an increasingly harmonised Energy Union. Up to this point, the UK has played a pivotal role in shaping the energy policies and regulations of the EU, particularly with respect to the liberalisation of the market. How will the UK's departure impact upon market integration initiatives, such as market coupling, cross-border balancing and cross-border capacity remuneration mechanisms, and the development of network codes? In addition, at the level of governance, while the UK will have to interact with the EU's energy networks, they will not be allowed to have representation in certain governing bodies such as ACER. In turn, without the UK's influence, how might the EU's energy priorities change? And, at an industrial and geopolitical level, how might a self-determined UK counter the challenges of being outside of the single market?
Video version here: https://youtu.be/eI3DSKYb-I4
Capacity remuneration mechanisms are currently at the forefront of the EU energy debate with the electricity sector, in particular, undergoing a considerable shake-up. One element of this discussion, is cross-border participation in capacity remuneration mechanisms, which is becoming increasingly important to a Europe-wide approach of ensuring a sustainable security of supply and the efficiency of the internal energy market. In this podcast, Dan Roberts from Frontier Economics outlines the key issues surrounding cross-border participation. He considers it from several aspects: how much capacity should be allowed to cross over; if participation is permitted in more than one national scheme; who should participate - generators or interconnectors; what consumers are paying for; and lastly, the challenge of cross-border co-operation across Europe.
To view accompanying slides for the podcast, please see http://www.slideshare.net/secret/E4pabGafFQGdXT
http://fsr.eui.eu/training/energy/regulation-integration-renewable-energy/
FSR’s new training on the Regulation and Integration of Renewable Energy will provide a comprehensive and detailed view of the European regulatory framework for the integration and development of renewable energy from top European experts.
Scientific Organisers: Jean-Michel Glachant | Florence School of Regulation/RSCAS/EUI Alberto Pototschnig | Florence School of Regulation/RSCAS/EUI and ACER
Interview by Pradyumna Bhagwat | Research Associate at Florence School of Regulation
Florence, 28 October 2016 FSR REGULATORY POLICY WORKSHOP SERIES 2016-2017
http://fsr.eui.eu/event/congestion-management-in-the-internal-energy-market/
The establishment of a fully integrated European energy market is one of the five mutually-reinforcing and closely interrelated dimensions of the EU Energy Union strategy aimed at bringing greater energy security, sustainability and competitiveness to the EU’s economy. In this regard, the integration of national markets has been one of the primary objectives of EU energy policy since the 1990s and has been pursued throughout three legislative packages and detailed provisions defined in Network Codes and Guidelines.
The achievement of a fully integrated and well-functioning EU energy market requires both an optimal level of physical interconnection between national systems and the efficient use of such interconnection. Since the former does not necessarily imply a sufficient level of physical interconnection capacity to meet the demand for transport services at all times, the latter has to ensure that the available capacity is allocated in the most efficient way and is fully utilised when congestion occurs. Consequently, capacity allocation and congestion management procedures have been introduced both in the electricity and gas sectors; in some cases long before the entry into force of the formal provisions.
This Workshop aims at reviewing the experience with the implementation of capacity allocation and congestion management procedures in the electricity and gas sectors, considering both the early voluntary and the mandatory implementation phases. The discussion is also expected to inquire into the way cross-border capacity can be valued in the intra-day timeframe and the best indicators to signal congestion at gas interconnection points. While recognising the different characteristics of the two sectors, the Workshop will also consider whether there are lessons learned from one sector which can be relevant for the other.
The introductory session of the Workshop will broadly analyse the experience with capacity allocation and congestion management in the electricity and gas sectors. The following two Sessions will focus on the respective and specific experiences in the electricity and gas, identifying the most topical and yet – open issues.
Nadia Horstmann from Bundesnetzagentur outlines the FSR & BNetzA Forum on the Legal Issues of Energy Regulation and gives an insight into the important topics discussed this year.
Florence, 28 October 2016
http://fsr.eui.eu/event/8th-fsr-bnetza-forum-legal-issues-energy-regulation/
Jointly organised by the FSR Energy Law and Policy Area and Bundesnetzagentur, the German regulatory office, the forum will focus on the emerging energy market design.
The workshop will open with a keynote address from Professor Michael Pollitt on the future of the European single market for gas and electricity.
In this podcast, Gianni De Stefano of Hogan Lovells International LLP (Brussels) and Pierre Loaec from the European Commission discuss the Commission’s investigation into the acquisition by US-based General Electric (GE) of the energy businesses of French multinational Alstom. Valued at more than €12 billion, the deal generated considerable interest and triggered multiple merger control and foreign investment filings worldwide. In 2015, the Commission launched an in-depth investigation to assess whether the acquisition was in line with the EU Merger Regulation particularly due to concerns regarding competition in the market for heavy-duty gas turbines. Gianni de Stefano and Pierre Loaec detail the history of the case, review the conclusions of the investigation and consider the effect it had on the energy sector.
Jean-Michel is joined by Annegret Groebel, vice-President CEER & Vice-chair of ACER's Board of Regulators, to discuss regional cooperation in the internal energy market and the coupling of regions. How can we converge towards a common regime? And who is in charge of the process? Recorded 23 September at the conference "Completing the European Power Market Integration" organised by ENTSO-E in Bratislava with the support of FSR.
http://fsr.eui.eu/event/completing-european-power-market-integration/
“I think we should not talk of regionalisation because this indeed has the negative impact of splitting the market, and we all work towards the internal energy market.” “All stake holders must work together, and would not say it is bottom up or top down, maybe we can say it’s kind of a diagonal”
Jean Arnold Vinois, advisor on European Energy Policy at the Jacques Delors Institute, considers the potential impact of Brexit on the energy sector, especially given the prominent role the UK has played in shaping energy policies in several key areas. How will the new balance of power affect future policy objectives?
http://energylawforum.eu/
The Vienna Forum on European Energy Law is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat.
It is designed to promote engagement and discussion on the most relevant issues currently facing the EU and the countries of Eastern and South Eastern Europe.
In an ever-changing energy landscape, the forum considers the complex and challenging legal aspects of EU energy policy, and the opportunities of integration with the EU internal energy market.
http://energylawforum.eu/
The Vienna Forum on European Energy Law is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat.
It is designed to promote engagement and discussion on the most relevant issues currently facing the EU and the countries of Eastern and South Eastern Europe.
In an ever-changing energy landscape, the forum considers the complex and challenging legal aspects of EU energy policy, and the opportunities of integration with the EU internal energy market.
http://energylawforum.eu/
The Vienna Forum on European Energy Law is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat.
It is designed to promote engagement and discussion on the most relevant issues currently facing the EU and the countries of Eastern and South Eastern Europe.
In an ever-changing energy landscape, the forum considers the complex and challenging legal aspects of EU energy policy, and the opportunities of integration with the EU internal energy market.
http://energylawforum.eu/
The Vienna Forum on European Energy Law is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat.
It is designed to promote engagement and discussion on the most relevant issues currently facing the EU and the countries of Eastern and South Eastern Europe.
In an ever-changing energy landscape, the forum considers the complex and challenging legal aspects of EU energy policy, and the opportunities of integration with the EU internal energy market.
http://energylawforum.eu/
The Vienna Forum on European Energy Law is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat.
It is designed to promote engagement and discussion on the most relevant issues currently facing the EU and the countries of Eastern and South Eastern Europe.
In an ever-changing energy landscape, the forum considers the complex and challenging legal aspects of EU energy policy, and the opportunities of integration with the EU internal energy market.
Liliana Eskenazi of Allen & Overy LLP, Paris, discusses regulated gas prices with reference to the opinion of Advocate General Paolo Mengozzi (CJEU) in case C-121/15 ANODE on the regulated gas price mechanism in France, which marked a significant precedent for national regulation of prices. The case addresses two delicate and seemingly conflicting issues; the opening of national markets to comply with Directive 2009/73/EC to achieve an internal gas market in the EU and the requirements of public service in the general economic interest which allows Member States to intervene to fix prices.
For further podcasts from the series, please see here: https://soundcloud.com/fsregulation-energy-and-climate/sets/energy-law-today
Listen to the summary of Anna Marhold's thesis "Energy in International Trade Law from GATT to TTIP. Regulation and Challenges"
This thesis takes a dynamic approach to the treatment of energy in international trade law. It traces the development of energy rules from the inception of the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) to Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)negotiations today.
It considers policy options for enhanced energy governance and discusses possible future scenarios and the role of the WTO and Energy Charter Treaty.
'For more on this topic; http://www.ictsd.org/themes/climate-and-energy/research/the-nexus-between-the-wto-and-the-energy-charter-treaty-in
Sebastian Pooschke and Christopher Bremme of Linklaters discuss the findings of the CEER status reviews on the implementation of unbundling rules for TSOs and DSOs. For further podcasts from the FSR Energy Law Podcast series, please see here https://soundcloud.com/fsregulation-energy-and-climate/sets/energy-law-today
Jean-Michel Glachant demands a response to the lack of responsive demand Recorded 14 June 2016 at the Meeting of the European Electricity Regulatory Forum, Florence, Italy
Jean-Michel Glachant has predicted “a light headache” for all those involved in the process of encouraging responsive distribution networks in the context of renewable energy investment. Reporting on our new podcast format, Glachant described the nature of the discussion at the Florence Forum on European electricity regulation.
“The European Commission and the main stakeholders in European energy are meeting to discuss new rules, new topics and new frontiers in the building of the European power market”, noted Jean-Michel. “One of the key issues was retail markets, but you will say ‘they‘ve existed since 2002.’ Yes and no, because with this massive entry of renewables, it could be good to have more responsive demand.”
“We will also need responsive distribution networks” – remarked Glachant – “they have to play a big role in the building of a new retail market, but they’re monopolies.”
“I can guarantee that most of us, by the end of these two days will have a light headache, not because it’s not interesting, but because it’s really demanding and I guess it’s the same for you.”
Jean-Michel Glachant ponders local markets as potential for "incredible breaking of the whole European project" Recorded at the European University Institute, June 17 2016
Jean-Michel Glachant has provided our podcast listeners with an insight into the frank discussions between leading regulators, stakeholders and executives at the FSR Executive Seminar: “Integrating the Operation of EU Power Systems?" . This involved views on market coupling, because “solar and wind do not produce energy in the same way so they do not ask for same pricing mechanism in the market.” Glachant also remarked that the idea of dividing the European market into smaller local markets could lead to an “incredible breaking of the whole European project.”
The seminar also dealt with capacity adequacy and capacity mechanisms. Glachant points out that Germany, with its formidable investment in renewable energy, should have been the driver of capacity mechanisms but that in reality the nation remains skeptical about the accuracy of this new tool.
Eventually the discussion on interconnections made Glachant wonder whether the increase in generation at the distribution level warranted less transmission interconnections in favour of a more localised approach.“We do not know where Europe is going.”
Professor David Newbery is the founder and director of the Energy Policy Research Group at Cambridge Univeristy. Here, he talks to Jean-Michel Glachant about the rapid transition in between centralised planning and the new world of non-stop investment in renewables.
Recorded in Cambridge, England May 13 2016.
"It's a revolution in the sense that the system of regulation is based on trying to create stability and predictability in the charger regime. That's fine if you've got plenty of time. So the thing that has revolutionised the electricity system is the speed with which things can change."
"It's not so much a revolution of technology, these technologies have been around."
"We have to think very carefully about what the principles are for connecting and charging for connecting to the system. And we have to get around the problem of regulatory stability by giving people longer term contracts when they connect which allow them to predict what their charges are."
Steven Weissman from the University of Berkeley California discusses the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan in relation to the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce the high level of green house gas emissions from coal-fired power plants, requiring each state to develop a plan to directly or indirectly tackle the level of emissions. It would be major element of the US's efforts to comply with the terms of the Paris Agreement. But, what are the legal implications of such a plan and will it be enforced?
At the International Energy Agency in Paris, 28 April 2016, Jean-Michel Glachant - Director of the Florence School of Regulation, interviews Fulvio Fontini, an expert on European capacity mechanisms, he works for both the Italian regulator (Autorita per l'Energia Elettrica il Gas) and CEER.
“Administrative borders don’t have any effect on electrons, so we need to deal with the typology of the system”
“There is an issue of security of supply, which is still a national issues, this is what the European legislation prescribes… this is the way that we set up our rules, whatever can be done at national level should be done at national level providing that it is homogenised”
“One dimension of capacity is the dimension of assessing security of supply, whether it is effectively needed or not that you have a capacity mechanism, and what are the consequences of introducing capacity mechanisms for security of supply”
Jean-Michel Glachant - Director of the Florence School of Regulation, interviews Claude Turmes, MEP on European energy security of supply. Recorded at the International Energy Agency in Paris, 28 April 2016
Claude Turmes has been a leading influence in European energy policy for more than 15 years, he is a Green MEP for Luxembourg and a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.
“I think our biggest [security of supply] problem in this moment is over capacity, we have so much coal and nuclear running despite the fact that we have deliberately decided to bring a lot of renewables to the system”
“(On gas security of supply) In Europe we optimised already our grid system and our methodology and our ability to deal with a crisis after the 2004-6 crisis with Russia and Ukraine, and now the issue is more to get pressure on member states… it is good that we work on the Gas security supply legislation which the European Commission proposed, but the bigger picture is how do we avoid too much political damage”
http://fsr.eui.eu/event/real-value-paris-agreement/ Video version available from the link above
The Paris Agreement undoubtedly forms a milestone in the fight against climate change. It sets the framework for the first long-term global common action against greenhouse gas emissions, by both developed and developing countries. The coming period up to 2020 will tell whether the structure and rules of the new treaty form a workable framework to tackle climate change and keep the global temperature rise well below 2C above pre-industrial levels. One of the first challenges in this respect will be to strenghten the commitments of the parties, as the combined effect of their current contributions would bring up the temperature far more than 2°C.
Director of the Energy Law and Policy Area, Professor Leigh Hancher (EUI, Tilburg University) opens the podcast series by discussing recent case law and developments concerning national price regulation, especially the regulation of retail price markets. While wholesale price regulation has been explicitly forbidden since the Directives from the Second Package of 2003, retail price regulation remains rather unclear. This podcast examines the recent ruling following the infringement procedure issued by the Commission against the Polish government on their system of regulating gas prices, which restricted the free setting of gas prices by the market, and the interpretation of the Public Service Obligation Provision, in Article 3 Paragraph 2 of the current gas directive under the Third Energy Package of 2009. This case is considered alongside the Federutility case of 2010, an important precedent, which concerned an Italian regulation, introduced in July 2007. The regulation imposed a price reference system on the very same day that national authorities were supposed to implement complete liberalisation of the gas market under the directives of the second package to allow all consumers to choose their supplier. In its ruling, the Court of Justice of the European Union introduced four conditions of state intervention which subsequently had implications for the Polish case. Finally, Professor Hancher looks to a pending case, in which the Courts of Justice of the European Union are facing the complex task of determining retail tariff regulation, following the request for guidance from the Conseil d’État on a french measure which provides for a system of regulated gas tariffs, the ruling on which may prove to be very significant for retail price regulation.
Helmut Schmitt von Sydow, Professor in Parma & Lausanne, and former Director & Chief Legal Advisor at DG Energy, European Commission. At the EU Energy Law & Policy Conference, 9 February 2016, Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the Florence School of Regulation, talks with Helmut Schmitt von Sydow, about the formation of the European Energy Union. “At first sight it seems like old wine in new bottles” “For some items, it’s just revigorating the policy and giving it new drive… the main new thing in the energy union is the security item, and that’s in reality foreign policy” “[The European Commission] have already come up with a lot of progress on the external front, in the past the European Union did not dare to deal with external relations with member states… The first step was they had to take account of the existing agreements, instead of going right away to the Court of Justice and speaking of external competences and so on, trade commercial policy, they did it in a slowly normal community method, to take stock, and then by taking stock of the different agreements see that we need a common approach because competing to get a better deal than my community neighbour is not the right approach”
Georg Zachmann is a Research Fellow at the European think tank Bruegel At the EU Energy Law & Policy Conference, 9 February 2016, Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the Florence School of Regulation, talks with Georg Zachmann about the problems facing the European energy mix. “Member states very directly or indirectly, as much as Brussels allows, influence their fuel mix” “One of the big questions now is, it is essentially a zero sum game, all the member states are building up over capacities, and we have to get rid of some of those capacities, but those who move first that do not have any support schemes… are essentially losing money in the long term” “We need a certain too for coordinating our investment and divestment schemes again, the market doesn’t seem to play this role anymore… either we leave it to the market, or we coordinate between member states their policies, but currently there is none of the two and this situation is not sustainable”
Damien Meadows is Adviser to Climate Action, European Commission At the EU Energy Law & Policy Conference, 9 February 2016, Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the Florence School of Regulation, talks with Damien Meadows to get the perspective of the younger generation at the European Commission. “COP21 is as bigger success as is possible in the United Nations Systems” “The direction the EU is going in has been indorsed; European heads of state have committed us to a 40% domestic reduction in greenhouse emissions” “China is developing an economy wide [carbon] trading system… the Chinese system will be twice the size of Europe’s” “The carbon price here is neutral on the energy mix, while trying to bring innovation and lower emissions across all sectors”
Enrico Maria Carlini, head of Management and engineering of the electric system at the Italian power TSO, Terna
Recorded 26 January 2016 in Milan at the SmartNet project kick-off meeting, in this interview by Ilaria Conti, Research and Policy Coordinator from the Florence School of Regulation, Enrico Maria Carlini talks about the evolution of the roll of TSOs and DSOs and tells us what the SmartNet project means to Terna.
“The project (SmartNet) is very important for us, for the transmission operator point of view, taking into account that dispersed generation is now more or less 22 or 25% of the total energy produced in Italy”
“Looking at the future of course, we have more integration between TSOs and DSOs, particularly on the real time information that we need to exchange”
Thomas-Olivier Léautier, Toulouse School of Economics, University of Toulouse Graduate School of Management, France and Fabien Roques, Compass Lexecon, University Paris Dauphine, France.
While directing the Florence School of Regulation’s Executive Course to master Electricity Markets, 18-19 January 2016, in Florence, Italy, Thomas-Olivier Léautier and Fabien Roques met with reporter Nicholas Barrett to discuss the relationship between regulation and economics as well as the EU’s efforts to tackle climate change.
Thomas-Olivier Léautier: “We need to reduce our carbon emissions while protecting our standard of living. Therefore, we need to, if possible, consume less electricity and produce less CO2 as we produce electricity. That requires tens of hundreds of billions of euros of investment. The more efficiently we do this… the cheaper this massive transformation is going be for society… it's super important.”
Fabien Roques: “The European Commissions, even though it’s been criticised, is doing a good job even with the limited powers it’s got.”
Fabien Roques: “In Europe, each country is very small regarding climate change compared to America and China, so having a coordinated approach to climate change is the only way for Europe to be one of the leaders on climate change.”
Jonathan Stern, Head of Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Recorded in Vienna where Jonathan was co-chairing the ‘EU-Russia Energy Dialogue Gas Advisory Council’ ; and Jean-Michel Glachant (Director of the Florence School of Regulation) attending. In this interview we get a basic understanding were we (the EU) are today with gas and where we are going.
“We are unsure where we are because things are changing so quickly, but the general view is that, after a decline of about 20% of demand in the EU, gas is stabilising, and will remain probably on this level for a few years unless decarbonisation towards renewables is very very successful, or the other probability is that coal will be phased out faster than we think, which means gas could improve its position a little bit, but we don’t see a very huge increase in gas demand."
“The big problem that we have at the moment in Europe, and this is a new problem, is that we see domestic production beginning to going down much faster than we thought, principally because of the situation in the Netherlands.”
“If you mean surprise in terms of cutting off gas because of Ukrainian problems, I think all of that is over because the EU is now very much involved in that process”
Xavier Labandeira, Director of FSR Climate, shares his thoughts on the outcomes of the Paris Climate Talks. “We for the first time introduce a 1.5 degree maximum increase of temperature as an aspirational environmental objective” “Once the emitters are into the agreement, which was not the case with Kyoto, they may find it easier to proceed in a way cooperatively, because leakage or competitiveness issues are minimalized” “More question marks arise from the issue of funding the huge investment flows necessary for the structural tenors that we need in order to have this decarbonisation” “Hopefully we will see many pricing devices in both the developed and developing world in the next few years” “We have a first step, a positive first step, but still much is needed, much more is needed, so we should not be too happy yet”
Simone Mori is Enel Group’s Head of European Affairs, and Head of Carbon Strategy.
In this interview from Brussels just before the Paris Climate Conference, he talks with Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the Florence School of Regulation, about his optimism for COP21.
“If we should find a single parameter which drove the change up until now, it’s the dramatic drop in cost of several technologies”
“Europe today is much more aligned, the Commission, the countries, the companies, there is a large consensus about the 2030 package”
“This is a very wise idea, to put together top-down long-term targets to study direction, and a bottom-up, flexible menu of possible intervention to be at the disposal of national commitments but under the umbrella of multilateral agreement.”
Andris Piebalgs is Adviser to the President of Latvia and former Commissioner for Energy (Barroso I) and for Development (Barroso II) and now Senior Fellow at the Florence School of Regulation. Security of gas supply, is there enough security and is there enough supply? How important are long term contracts? An EU external energy policy? An interview by Ilaria Conti, Research and Policy Coordinator from the Florence School of Regulation Recorded 17 November 2015 “There are some security of supply issues that make this topic geopolitical, that make this topic also emotional, and because of all this complexity it is also a very interesting topic” “long term contracts… it is also security of demand, because producers need to invest a lot” “There are two challenges […] for the EU on Long Term Contracts: one is transparency”
http://florence-school.eu/event/two-day-executive-course-to-master-electricity-markets-18-19-january-2016/
Fabien Roques, Senior Vice President with the Economics Consultancy Compass Lexecon and Associate Professor at University Paris-Dauphine, talks about the demand response, which is one of the big missing parts of well-functioning electricity markets. This topic will be discussed during the 2-Day Executive Course to master Electricity Markets
Massimo Tavoni, Deputy Coordinator for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, FEEM, Italy.
On the 12 November 2015 at the European University Institute in Florence, he was the discussant at the presentation of the book ‘EU Climate Policy EXPLAINED’, co-edited by Peter Vis and Jos Delbeke.
This book explains the EU’s climate policies in an accessible way, to demonstrate the step-by-step approach that has been used to develop these policies, and the ways in which they have been tested and further improved in the light of experience. It shows that there is no single policy instrument that can bring down greenhouse gas emissions, but the challenge has been to put a jigsaw of policy instruments together that is coherent, delivers emissions reductions, and is cost-effective.
In view of the forthcoming 2015 UN Climate Change conference in Paris, this book is of great interest for academics and policy makers alike.
Peter Vis is the EU Visiting Fellow at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford (UK), for the academic year 2014–2015. Prior to that he was Head of Cabinet to Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action (2010–2014). He has an MA (history) from the University of Cambridge (UK).
On the 12 November 2015 at the European University Institute in Florence, he presented the new book ‘EU Climate Policy EXPLAINED’ which he co-edited with Jos Delbeke to Florence School of Regulation Climate and selected audience.
This book explains the EU’s climate policies in an accessible way, to demonstrate the step-by-step approach that has been used to develop these policies, and the ways in which they have been tested and further improved in the light of experience. It shows that there is no single policy instrument that can bring down greenhouse gas emissions, but the challenge has been to put a jigsaw of policy instruments together that is coherent, delivers emissions reductions, and is cost-effective.
In view of the forthcoming 2015 UN Climate Change conference in Paris, this book is of great interest for academics and policy makers alike.
Peter Vis and Massimo Tavoni answer questions from the audience after the presentation of the book ‘EU Climate Policy EXPLAINED’, co-edited by Peter Vis and Jos Delbeke.
12 November 2015, European University Institute, Florence, Italy
This book explains the EU’s climate policies in an accessible way, to demonstrate the step-by-step approach that has been used to develop these policies, and the ways in which they have been tested and further improved in the light of experience. It shows that there is no single policy instrument that can bring down greenhouse gas emissions, but the challenge has been to put a jigsaw of policy instruments together that is coherent, delivers emissions reductions, and is cost-effective.
In view of the forthcoming 2015 UN Climate Change conference in Paris, this book is of great interest for academics and policy makers alike.
Xavier Labandeira, Director of Florence School of Regulation Climate, introduces the presentation of the book ‘EU Climate Policy EXPLAINED’, co-edited by Peter Vis and Jos Delbeke.
This book explains the EU’s climate policies in an accessible way, to demonstrate the step-by-step approach that has been used to develop these policies, and the ways in which they have been tested and further improved in the light of experience. It shows that there is no single policy instrument that can bring down greenhouse gas emissions, but the challenge has been to put a jigsaw of policy instruments together that is coherent, delivers emissions reductions, and is cost-effective.
In view of the forthcoming 2015 UN Climate Change conference in Paris, this book is of great interest for academics and policy makers alike.
Adrien de Hauteclocque is a Legal Secretary (Référendaire) of Judge M. van der Woude at the Court of Justice of the European Union (General Court), Luxembourg, and an Adviser of the Loyola de Palacio Chair. Here he is interviewed by the Director of the Florence School, Jean-Michel Glachant, on the topics discussed at the FSR Fifth Policy Advisory Council which brought together renowned academics, experts from leading energy companies as well as representatives from the European Commission, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs). Recorded 6 November 2015, Florence, Italy
“we talked this morning about the long term import gas contracts… we have a problem with this contract… I think it is fair to say they have very ambiguous effects both on competition and on security of supply, sometimes they are good, sometimes they are bad…”
“maybe we should think about introducing some kinds of ex-ante notification mechanisms so that there would be some level of control”
FSR Fifth Policy Advisory Council report by Jean-Michel Glachant The FSR Policy Advisory Council is the bi-annual exclusive meeting where the FSR tests new ideas and research proposals with a small selected audience of FSR donors, academics, regulators and representatives from EU Institutions. Held under Chatham House Rules, the PAC is attended by significant players in the European Energy Industry. In this podcast, Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the Florence School reveals some extracts from the meeting. Recorded in Florence 6 November 2015 “…it is very likely that the TSO business in the power industry, the transmission business in the power industry, will enter or is entering a complete revolution.”
Jorge Vasconcelos, former regulator of Portugal and co-founder of CEER (Council of European Energy Regulators) talks about the evolution of European energy system – in the light of its decentralisation or “localisation”. Interview by Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the Florence School Recorded at the FSR’s 5th Policy Advisory Council on 6 November 2015 “The application of these [digital] technologies will produce very important and substantial change” “Don’t forget that every electricity consumer is connected with 250 million consumers in Europe”
Prof. Karsten Neuhoff is Head of the Climate Policy Department at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin). In this interview by the FSR Research and Policy Coordinator Ilaria Conti, Prof. Neuhoff answers questions on the evolution of electricity balancing in Europe in light of the current and upcoming challenges. And, one big question: can we think of a single electricity Balancing market for Europe? Recorded on 1 November 2015, Milan “a common approach on balancing will be very important, because ultimately that reflects a common approach of operating the system, and only if we find a common way of operating the system then we can exchange information accurately between TSOs and run the system precisely” “Starting from the past, European efforts had been initially on the day-ahead, and now to some extent on the intra-day market, and very often defining the interphases between countries. That is sufficient if you have stable flows in a conventional power system. The future…”
Professor Ariel Ezrachi is the Slaughter and May Professor of Competition Law and a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford. Here he talks to Nicholas Barrett about the algorithms after our money.
"The use of a single algorithm could have a de-facto horizontal impact on pricing."
"We also reflect on the possibility of using algorithms to facilitate tacit collusion."
"We discussed the possibility of almost perfect price discrimination, the possibility for platforms to make use of data in order to try to second guess the reservation price for customers and target them in a way that would optimise profit."
"When we speak about big data and energy, the questions are whether the ability of the supplier to gather information, even through the meters, as to the behaviour of the customers and their usage could then be leveraged in order to gain an advantage over others."
Professor Mats Nilsson, an economist at Luleå University of Technology. Here he talks to Nicholas Barrett about the transition to renewable energy and Europe's "extreme focus on renewables".
"There is a good intention behind the support for renewables, but we have to remember that the support for renewables was for a sustainability goal, but that has become mixed with the co2 goal."
"The manufacturing industry is now starting to leave Europe as a protest against the rising electricity costs. That comes as a shock, I think, to policy makers and industry members alike."
"We don't have to continue, we can take a deep breath, we can phase out the renewable support we have."
http://florence-school.eu/event/fsr-climate-annual-conference-2015/?instance_id=302
Claudio Marcantonini, is the deputy director of FSR Climate. Here he talks to Nicholas Barrett about the first 10 years of the European Union's emission Trading Scheme and what it means to the rest of the world.
"The EU ETS did not have a strong negative impact on the economy, there was no negative impact in terms of production, job losses or relocation of industries"
"There is no evidence of carbon leakage, we have reduced emissions in Europe but not at the expense of increased emissions in other parts of the world."
"It shows that a carbon price is feasible and that you can build a policy that puts a price on emissions on a level the size of Europe."
http://florence-school.eu/event/two-day-executive-course-to-master-electricity-markets-18-19-january-2016
Fabien Roques, Senior Vice President with the Economics Consultancy Compass Lexecon and Associate Professor at University Paris-Dauphine, talks about the FSR's new 2-day Executive Course to master Electricity Markets. The new training programme covers many topics, one of them is the capacity mechanisms.
http://fsr.eui.eu
Jean Tirole, Nobel Laureate and Professor of Economics at the Toulouse School of Economics explains what we can expect from COP21, the UN Climate conference taking place in Paris in December. An interview by Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the Florence School of Regulation and Holder of the Loyola de Palacio Chair.
Recorded 9 September 2015
An interview by Jean-Michel Glachant, Director of the Florence School of Regulation and Holder of the Loyola de Palacio Chair.
Recorded at the Tenth Conference on The Economics of Energy and Climate Change, from the Toulouse School of Economics, Toulouse, France. http://www.tse-fr.eu/conferences/2015-tenth-conference-economics-energy-and-climate-change
“promises are non-binding, so they are just promises. We have seen in the past, from Kyoto to Copenhagen, that actually the countries don’t abide by their promises.”
“If you put some effort into reducing your pollution, you’re not even sure if it will have any impact”
“We have to develop satellites which are going to measure the pollution of every country so you make countries accountable”
“Efficiency will require that the carbon price is the same in every country of the world”
“If the carbon price is not enforced in countries you need to have WTO sanctions”
Martin Weitzman was interviewed by MW Fellow Martina Bozzola on 21 October 2015 at the Max Weber Programme of the European University Institute. They tackled the collective challenges posed by the risk of climate change and the relevance of shock events to redirect individual interest towards the international governance of this crucial public good.
An FSR interview by Martina Bozzola
Mario Ragwitz, Deputy Head of Competence Center Energy Policy and Energy Markets, Coordinator of Business Unit Renewable Energies, talks to Nicholas Barrett about funding for renewable energy in Europe. This recording was made on 22 October during FSR Climate 2015 Annual Conference.
“We have seen a strong decline in the generation costs of renewables and a number of technologies are already competitive today in good locations such as on-shore wind and solar in southern Europe.”
“We see that market values of renewables decrease with increased market integration, therefore, you probably still need another decade before renewables are fully cost competitive.”
Ian Parry is the Principal Environmental Fiscal Policy Expert in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Fiscal Affairs Department, here he talks to Xavier Labandeira, Director of FSR Climate, about how to price carbon. This recording was made on 22 October during FSR Climate 2015 Annual Conference. “Carbon taxes are a very simple practical straight forward tool and the most effective and efficient way to price carbon while raising revenue at the same time” “There is a lot of momentum, but if we are being honest, we have an awful long way to go”
Massimo Filippini, Professor from ETH Zurich gives his thoughts on how effective the European effort to mitigate Climate Change is. An interview by Xavier Labandeira, Director of FSR Climate, recorded 22 October during FSR Climate 2015 Annual Conference. “We should recognise behind the consumption of energy we have long term investment” “I am not sure that at the end of the day this diversity in the approaches to reach some climate and energy policy goals will be so effective”
Peter Cramton is a professor both at the University of Maryland and the European University Institute, here he gives his opinion on how to promote international climate agreements. An interview by Christoph Graf, Research Assistant at FSR Climate, recorded 22 October during FSR Climate 2015 Annual Conference. “The coalition of the willing has to include the United States, Europe, India, China, Brazil… all the large countries who are emitting large amounts of carbon” “I think that the political will is growing, and what will is growing… and what will help it grow is an effective instrument”
Peter Kaderjak | Director of the Regional Centre for Energy Policy Research, talks to the Director of the Florence School of Regulation Jean-Michel Glachant about Gas Security of Supply after his participation on the panel ‘Going beyond national borders: is it really that difficult?’ Recorded at ‘External Energy Security and Policy: Power and Gas Aspects’, 5 October 2015, Vienna, Austria, organised by E-Control and Florence School of Regulation.
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Workshop/2015/150703ExternalEnergySecurityandPolicyPowerandGasAspects.aspx
“We are the only region with the perspective of declining production.”
“The external question is to what extent are our outside suppliers reliable and at what cost they provide the gas. The good news is that there are several outside suppliers who are becoming new ones in the European market, potently the US is there. The bad news is that you still have problems with the potential reliability of the outside suppliers, with Russia you never know and the north African supply has decreased substantially.
“We have abundant gas around Europe but we still have a lot of internal problems in the European system.”
“Each member state should do it’s homework to analyse it’s supply security situation.”
After introducing the main features of the EU Infrastructure Package, Catharina Sikow-Magny (DG Energy) confirms to our microphone the dates of the first EU Forum on energy infrastructures. Listen to the podcast.
http://fsr.eui.eu “Why is the infrastructure package so good?”, The role of ACER, and the Madrid, Florence and Copenhagen forums in perspective. Catharina Sikow-Magny is Head of Unit at Networks and Regional Initiatives, DG ENER, here she talks with Ilaria Conti, Research and Policy Coordinator at the Florence School of Regulation, about Energy Infrastructure. Recorded at “External Energy Security and Policy: Power and Gas Aspects” event organised by the Florence School of Regulation and E-Control in Vienna on the 5th October 2015. “The trans-European network regulation is actually I would say, four regulations in one, it is a very rich regulation, we still need to explore all the different articles, and are still sometimes discovering articles from the past” “There is a wide range of issues, where both sectors (Gas & Electricity) have similar questions that we can that we can then answer in a better way at the (Copenhagen) forum”
Marc van der Woude | Judge, President of 7th Chamber, General Court of the European Union
Marc van der Woude settles disputes at the EU level, including those involving the EU's own institutions. Here he discusses his role in European energy policy with Jean-Michel Glachant.
Recorded in Brussels, 29th September 2015 "You can have a clash between energy policy on one hand and environmental policy on the other"
"To say that they would define policy is wrong, they would define conflicts between policy objectives."
"Even the Iranian case deals with the question of whether companies are active in the energy sector, because the energy sector provides the funds which allow the Iranian government to finance its nuclear proliferation."
http://fsr.eui.eu
Jos Delbeke is the Director General of DG Climate Action at the European Commission and is considered a "founding father" of the Emission Trading Scheme. He is also the co-author of a new book, EU Climate Policy Explained, which will be published in October. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Climate-Policy-Explained-Jos-Delbeke/dp/9279482610/
Recorded 22 September in Brussels
Here he tells Jean-Michel about the highs and lows of European climate policy over the last decade, as well as the future of carbon markets around the world.
"We were increasing GDP while we were decreasing our emissions significantly."
"Our policy is much more coherent than what it resembles at first sight."
"We all know that optimally, we should have the same carbon price around the globe, but we know that the world isn't perfect."
"It's a success that in Europe, with 28 member states, we have the same carbon price."
"The fact that all countries have to come forward with a policy pledge merits much more attention than it has been given so far."
Thomas-Olivier Leautier is Research Director at the Toulouse School of Economics, and professor of management at the University of Toulouse Graduate School of Management, where he created the Master in Risk Management.
Here he talks about policy initiatives how to integrate renewables into the power market. This topic will be covered during the FSR's new 2 day Executive Course to Master Electricity Markets which takes place 18-19 January 2016.
Course webpage: http://fsr.eui.eu/EnergyandClimate/Training/Master-Electricity-Markets.aspx
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy has been a member of the European Parliament since July 2009 where he sits with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. He is former Vice Chair and continues to be a member of the Environment Committee.
Recorded 17 September 2015
Here he tells Jean-Michel about the role of the European Parliament in the debate surrounding climate change and the importance of effective scientific communication.
"What I find most important after we tried the top-down approach with great failure in Copenhagen, we now have this bottom-up approach where countries have to submit their own climate plans."
"If you have a message based on data that is so unpopular that nobody will follow you then have no influence."
"Scientists and researchers are often very knowledgeable in their own field but not very knowledgeable in other fields like politics so it would be good for every scientist to take a short class on how politics works because it is a completely different world."
"What I find intriguing is the dominance of media and television, sometimes you see what I would call popular scientists who have to ability to explain a very difficult topic in a few minutes and people get behind them. Those people play a crucial role."
"Quite often scientists focus on the number and data, that is very dry information and they don't give the politicians the tools to use data for the larger public."
"Live in the real world and that's a world dominated by media and images. I work on bio-diversity but in the real world it's more important that an actor like Leonardo Di Caprio is working on that then the most esteemed scientist in the world."
"Timing is crucial if you present a report at the end of July it's clear that nothing is going to happen with it."
Peter Cramton, Professor at the University of Maryland and the EUI, is an expert in market design. Here he talks with Jean-Michel Glachant about global decarbonisation negotiations.
Recorded 9 September 2015
"The international negotiations have today been ineffective at addressing decarbonisation, and the basic problem is the process that they're using in the negotiations. They are not taking advantage of what we know about how to promote cooperation in negotiations"
"The pledges are inadequate. They are essentially what are in the self-interests of the countries."
"Price carbon - I will, if you will."
"Rather than making individual pledges, the parties should be looking for a common commitment and pledge the common commitment"
"The price of carbon is a very natural common focal of the common commitment."
The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today no.017 16 July 2015 recorded online
Walter Boltz is executive director at E-Control, Europe’s leading gas regulator. Here he talks with Jean-Michel Glachant about the nature and benefits of solidarity in European gas policy.
“…I don’t think that in the foreseeable future Europe will be speaking with one voice, because the actual interests of European counties varies widely.”
“There is this principle of solidarity but as the discussions bout the restructuring of Greek debt has shown, there are limits to solidarity and the solidarity levels is seen differently in different regions in Europe. I think what has become clear in the gas world is that certain amount of solidarity is in the interest of everybody because individually we are weaker than jointly. ”
“The stress tests have shown that if everybody tries to optimise his own national situation, the overall a significant number of citizens will be denied gas access. Whereas if we share the resources we have, then almost everybody is better off.”
http://fsr.eui.eu
Energy Today no.022
Saskia Lavrijssen, Professor of economic regulation and governance of network industries Tilburg University, explains the new concept of prosumers in electricity markets.
Interview by Adrien de Hauteclocque, Legal Secretary (Référendaire) of Judge M. van der Woude at the Court of Justice of the European Union (General Court), Luxembourg, and an Adviser of the Loyola de Palacio Chair
Recorded 2 June 2015, at the FSR, 2015 Summer School on EU Energy Law and Policy, in Florence, Italy.
“The prosumer, that is an energy consumer, and I especially refer to households, that do not only use energy but also generate energy” “At this moment the current national and European frame works are still based on the idea that the consumer only uses energy… however now in the future more and more consumers will also feed in energy to the grid…”
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Conference/2015/150521ClimateEUETSConference.aspx
Energy Today no.021
Jos Delbeke, Director General for DG Climate Action, talks about the EU ETS.
Interview by Claudio Marcantonini, Scientific Coordinator for FSR Climate.
Recorded 21 May 2015, at the conference Looking Back at Ten Years of the EU ETS: Lessons Learnt and Future Perspectives, in Florence, Italy.
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Conference/2015/150521ClimateEUETSConference.aspx
Energy Today no.020
Jorge Moreira da Silva, Minister for Environment, Spacial Planning and Energy, Portugal talks about EU Policy.
Interview by Claudio Marcantonini, Scientific Coordinator for FSR Climate.
Recorded 21 May 2015, at the conference Looking Back at Ten Years of the EU ETS: Lessons Learnt and Future Perspectives, in Florence, Italy
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Conference/2015/150521ClimateEUETSConference.aspx
Energy Today no.019
Guy Turner, from Trove Research talks about the EU ETS as an economic instrument.
Interview by Claudio Marcantonini, Scientific Coordinator for FSR Climate.
Recorded 21 May 2015, at the conference Looking Back at Ten Years of the EU ETS: Lessons Learnt and Future Perspectives, in Florence, Italy.
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Conference/2015/150521ClimateEUETSConference.aspx
Energy Today no.018
Daniel Dudek, Vice President of the Environmental Defense Fund, USA, talks about the international importance of the EU ETS.
Interview by Claudio Marcantonini, Scientific Coordinator for FSR Climate.
Recorded 21 May 2015, at the conference Looking Back at Ten Years of the EU ETS: Lessons Learnt and Future Perspectives, in Florence, Italy.
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Conference/2015/150521ClimateEUETSConference.aspx
Energy Today no.017
Carlo Carraro, Director of the International Centre for Climate Governance, FEEM, gives his thoughts on the forth coming Paris conference and the role of the EU.
Interview by Claudio Marcantonini, Scientific Coordinator for FSR Climate.
Recorded 21 May 2015, at the conerence Looking Back at Ten Years of the EU ETS: Lessons Learnt and Future Perspectives, in Florence, Italy.
http://FSR.eui.eu
Organised by FSR Climate, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence in collaboration with DG Climate Action, European Commission Teatro, Badia Fiesolana Via dei Roccettini, 9 – San Domenico di Fiesole 20 - 21 May 2015
more information and programme:
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Conference/2015/150521ClimateEUETSConference.aspx
14.15-16.30 Session 3: Looking Forward: What Next for the EU ETS? Chair Peter Zapfel | Head of Unit, DG Climate Action, European Commission Panelists Felix Matthes | Research Coordinator, Öko-Institut, Germany Dorette Corbey | Chairman, Dutch Emissions Authority, the Netherlands Ondřej Strecker | Senior Strategy Specialist, CEZ Group, Czech Republic Dirk Forrister | President and CEO, IETA, Switzerland Daniel Dudek | Vice President, Environmental Defense Fund, USA Carlo Carraro | Director, International Centre for Climate Governance, FEEM, Italy 16.30-16.45 Summary Ewa Krukowska | EU Reporter, Bloomberg News, Belgium 16.45 Closing remarks Jos Delbeke | Director-General for Climate Action, European Commission Xavier Labandeira | Director, FSR Climate, EUI
http://FSR.eui.eu
Organised by FSR Climate, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence in collaboration with DG Climate Action, European Commission Teatro, Badia Fiesolana Via dei Roccettini, 9 – San Domenico di Fiesole 20 - 21 May 2015
more information and programme:
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Conference/2015/150521ClimateEUETSConference.aspx
08.30-08.45 Conference opening Brigid Laffan | Director, RSCAS, EUI Miguel Arias-Cañete | Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy (video recording) Jean-Michel Glachant | Director, FSR, EUI 08.45-09.00 Keynote speech Frank Convery | Chief Economist, Environmental Defense Fund, USA 09.00-10.30 Session 1: What Made the EU ETS Possible? Chair Brigid Laffan | Director, RSCAS, EUI Panelists Jean-Yves Caneill | Head of Climate Policy, EDF, France Peter Vis | EU Visiting Fellow, University of Oxford, UK John Scowcroft | Executive Adviser, Global CCS Institute, Belgium Robert Bradley | Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirates Eva Jensen | Director of Secretariat, Danish Climate Council, Denmark Jørgen Wettestad | Research Professor, The Fridtjof Nansen Institute,
http://FSR.eui.eu
Organised by FSR Climate, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence in collaboration with DG Climate Action, European Commission Teatro, Badia Fiesolana Via dei Roccettini, 9 – San Domenico di Fiesole 20 - 21 May 2015
more information and programme:
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Conference/2015/150521ClimateEUETSConference.aspx
11.00-12.45 Session 2: How Has the EU ETS Worked? Chair Xavier Labandeira | Director, FSR Climate, EUI Panelists Denny Ellerman | former Director, Climate Policy Research Unit, EUI Stig Schjolset | Head of Carbon Analysis, Thomson Reuters Point Carbon, Norway Guy Turner | CEO, Trove Research, UK Franzjosef Schafhausen | Director General, Climate Change, European and International Policy, Federal Ministry for Environment, Germany Marco Mensink | Director General, CEPI, Belgium Baroness Bryony Worthington | Shadow Energy and Climate Change Minister, House of Lords, UK
http://fsr.eui.eu
The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today no.016 25 May 2015 from the 38th IAEE International Conference in Antalya, Turkey
Former President of IAEE and Acting President of Italian AE, Prof. Carlo-Andrea Bollino talks with Jean-Michel Glachant about the implementation and status of renewables in Italy. In this interview we learn that although often overlooked, Italy is one of the leading countries in the move away from fossil fuels.
“…The Italian public was environmentally conscious and didn’t want to build new fossil fuel based generation plants, but they wanted renewable energy”
“Now after the crisis the rate of return from an investment in a small photovoltaic roof on your home is much better than a treasury bill of the Italian government, but that was the right signal at the time to give to a public that was suspicious”
http://fsr.eui.eu
The Florence School of Regulation presents: Ilaria Conti's Energy Today no.015 22 May 2015 in Florence.
Jacques de Jong, Senior Fellow at Clingendael International Energy Programme, on the Energy Union, talks to Ilaria Conti from the FSR about security of supply.
"It is a highly political case with a lot of emotion around that. I feel sometimes hijacked by the political people when we are talking about energy and the security of supply"
"I really do believe that security of supply is one of the key objectives of European Energy Policy, but we should define, much more in particular, what we mean by it…”
http://fsr.eui.eu
Alberto Pototschnig is the Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. In this interview he answers questions about Capacity Remuneration Mechanisms, the subject of the Policy Workshop he is about to introduce at the Florence School of Regulation.
Interview by Ilaria Conti | Research and Policy Coordinator, Florence School of Regulation
Recorded 18 May 2015, at the FSR Regulatory Policy Workshop, A Target Model for Electricity Capacity Remuneration Schemes, in Florence, Italy.
“That I think is the challenge, to make sure that the Capacity Remuneration Mechanisms are not a patch to a temporary problem, but to see how you can augment the target model that we have, with some sort of mechanisms to deal with adequacy issues, if we come to the view that this is necessary.”
“the results of the last enquiry sparkled the 3rd package, now I don’t think we need a 4th package, but defiantly we need to look at the target model that we have, and see which additional components we may need, in order to make sure that all concerns and all challenges are addressed.”
http://fsr.eui.eu
The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today no.014 6 May 2015 in Brussels
Paul Van Son, chairman of MENA for RWE talks to JM Glachant about a “revolution” in the production of Middle Eastern renewable energy.
“Gas and oil are not competitive anymore in these countries, so they will rapidly disappear”
“We are all connected worldwide in the same interconnected energy grid”
“Very soon we will see that with this very cheap production this will put pressure on production in the areas where electricity is more expensive.”
“In the Middle East they will very soon transform all energy to renewables.”
“I worked for many years in the renewables and I never believed it would go that fast”
http://fsr.eui.eu
Andris Piebalgs is Adviser to the President of Latvia and former Commissioner for Energy (Barroso I) and for Development (Barroso II). After giving a lecture at the EUI, he was interviewed by the director of the Florence School of Regulation, Jean-Michel Glachant, during which he answered questions on the European Commission and the Energy Union, implementing policies, and regulatory authorities
“The biggest challenge for Energy Regulators was the general rejection of EU agencies”
“The perception Energy Union sounds good for solidarity, so that’s why the name I think”
“I believe that in the third energy package we have made some compromises that we need now to come back [to]”
http://fsr.eui.eu
Andris Piebalgs is Adviser to the President of Latvia and former Commissioner for Energy (Barroso I) and for Development (Barroso II). In this interview Andris Piebalgs gives his perspectives on upgrading and achieving the internal market, and the “fourth package”.
“That was always the spirit, that you really had this ability to buy electricity where it is cheaper”
“So it means ,2004, ten years and we are back to here, but it is not to square one, now it is not you (Jean-Michel) saying this, now the Commission is saying this, and that is good news”
http://fsr.eui.eu
Andris Piebalgs is Adviser to the President of Latvia and former Commissioner for Energy (Barroso I) and for Development (Barroso II). In this third interview, Jean-Michel asks the former commissioner, “if for the 2030 targets countries will have to produce their own national plans, will the Commission have an active role in this?”
“I would always wish that on some issues, particularly on energy efficiency, but also for renewable energy development, also for research, the commission support for member countries would be a great thing”
http://fsr.eui.eu
The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today no.012 29 April 2015, at Vlerick Business School, Brussels
Jean-Michel talks with Daniel Dobbeni about the Energy Union and what the major TSOs in the world think of it.
Daniel Dobbeni is the former CEO of Elia, the Belgian TSO, the former chairman of ENTSO-E, as well as the co-chairman of GO15.
“It is a pity is that, despite the fact that we have the first Directive that was approved in 1996, most energy policies are still very much nationally driven when it goes to the implementation phase.”
“We are not benefitting today from the seamless access to this diversity of generation sources, and this should absolutely become a priority of all our leaders.”
“We asked the CEOs of the 17 biggest system operators what were their three nightmares, and to our astonishment we discovered that we shared most of these nightmares.”
“All of these CEOs are concerned by the lack of stability of regulation and the fact that regulation has to cope with the very fast changing environment in which these companies operate.”
http://fsr.eui.eu
Author: Thomas-Olivier Léautier | Professor of Management, University of Toulouse Category: FSR webinar recording Level: intermediate Date of release: April 2015
For a variety of structural reasons, the power industry is at high risk of exercise of market power by producers. Furthermore, accurately detecting and effectively correcting market power is technically and politically challenging. Policy makers have tried a variety of mechanisms, with varying success
This webinar will illustrate the potential (and real) exercise of market power, and discuss various corrective mechanisms.
This is a recording of webinar held on 16th April 2015, moderated by Chiara Canestrini (FSR)
http://fsr.eui.eu
The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today no.011 16 April 2015, at Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge Massachusetts.
Jean-Michel talks with his old friend Denny Ellerman, and is told there already is a European Climate Union, the ETS!
Denny Ellerman is former director of the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, and the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research at MIT, as well as former area director of the Climate Policy Research Unit at the European University Institute's Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
“Think, you have a Climate Union, it’s called the ETS”
“The problem, to my mind, is climate policy is in danger of becoming like what I regard energy security both in Europe and particularly the United States, that it is a justification for everything and for nothing, and with no results.”
“It’s a long arduous, painful even process of incremental changes and people finally coming to agree to do certain things and you just move across incrementally and I just think that the Energy Union is a nice sort of banner but notice, it is the Energy Union, it is not the Energy and Climate Union”
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The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today no.010 14 April 2015, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge Massachusetts. Director of Florence School asks Harvard Prof. Bill Hogan how he views the existing EU Power Target Model and compares it with his own preferred Target Model.
Bill Hogan is Professor of Global Energy Policy and Director of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group (HEPG) at Harvard Kennedy School.
"There is a fundamental problem associated with my understanding of this design that has to do with the underlying principles of markets, and in particular with what we call in the US ‘open access’ and ‘non-discrimination’."
“…we had markets in California, Texas, New England and PJM in the early days, which all collapsed because you couldn’t reconcile open access, non-discrimination, and substantial arbitrage opportunities between the market and the physical system”
“The difference has to be explained in the implementation of these principles of open access and non-discrimination, I think I that the TSOs in Europe have much more power and flexibility to discriminate between market participants than the independent system operators do in the United States"
http://fsr.eui.eu
The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today no.009 14 April 2015, recorded on the streets outside Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge Massachusetts. Jean-Michel catches up with Simone Mori, Director of Enel, and asks him about new business models for EU utilities.
“What is ENEL saying? Well to make very simply, we want to be the first and the best of the leaders in this new environment…”
“If you look around the world, renewables have become more and more, a basic option for covering base load generation, this is a reality”
http://fsr.eui.eu The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today no.008 13 April 2015, at Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge Massachusetts. Jean-Michel talks with Alberto Pototschnig, Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, and discovers that "at least one director of a European agency is willing to work much more” as the Energy Union might bring more power to ACER.
“The increased liquidity of gas market I think that’s extremely important because flexibility in the electricity sector may come from a more flexible gas market”
“ …we still need to address I would say the technical, but even more importantly the regulatory and the business model”
The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today #007 31 March 2015, at DG Energy, Brussels. Jean-Michel asks Klaus Dieter Borchardt, Director of the Internal Energy Market at DG Energy of the European Commission on market design and network codes, and has a look around Borchardt's office to see if a 4th package can be found.
“Jean-Michel, let me tell you I hate talking about a 4th package because you just put a label on something and you do not know what is in there. To think we come forward with new package where we develop a new policy, a new design for electricity market is wrong.”
http://FSR.eui.eu
20 March 2015, CEER Secretariat, Cours Saint-Michel 30a, 1040 Brussels Belgium
01 Introducing the paper European Energy Union, Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission
02 Christian Oliver | Financial Times, opens the debate, Energy Union, Content or Packaging?
03 Debate part 2 04 Debate part 3 05 Debate part 4 06 Questions from the Audience
Debating the European Energy Union Moderated by: Christian Oliver | FT Panellist : Sami Andoura | Jacques Delors Institute/College of Europe Jean-Michel Glachant | FSR Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission Georg Zachmann | Bruegel Jean-Arnold Vinois | Jacques Delors Institute
http://FSR.eui.eu
20 March 2015, CEER Secretariat, Cours Saint-Michel 30a, 1040 Brussels Belgium
01 Introducing the paper European Energy Union, Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission
02 Christian Oliver | Financial Times, opens the debate, Energy Union, Content or Packaging?
03 Debate part 2 04 Debate part 3 05 Debate part 4 06 Questions from the Audience
Debating the European Energy Union Moderated by: Christian Oliver | FT Panellist : Sami Andoura | Jacques Delors Institute/College of Europe Jean-Michel Glachant | FSR Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission Georg Zachmann | Bruegel Jean-Arnold Vinois | Jacques Delors Institute
http://FSR.eui.eu
20 March 2015, CEER Secretariat, Cours Saint-Michel 30a, 1040 Brussels Belgium
01 Introducing the paper European Energy Union, Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission
02 Christian Oliver | Financial Times, opens the debate, Energy Union, Content or Packaging?
03 Debate part 2 04 Debate part 3 05 Debate part 4 06 Questions from the Audience
Debating the European Energy Union Moderated by: Christian Oliver | FT Panellist : Sami Andoura | Jacques Delors Institute/College of Europe Jean-Michel Glachant | FSR Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission Georg Zachmann | Bruegel Jean-Arnold Vinois | Jacques Delors Institute
http://FSR.eui.eu
20 March 2015, CEER Secretariat, Cours Saint-Michel 30a, 1040 Brussels Belgium
01 Introducing the paper European Energy Union, Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission
02 Christian Oliver | Financial Times, opens the debate, Energy Union, Content or Packaging?
03 Debate part 2 04 Debate part 3 05 Debate part 4 06 Questions from the Audience
Debating the European Energy Union Moderated by: Christian Oliver | FT Panellist : Sami Andoura | Jacques Delors Institute/College of Europe Jean-Michel Glachant | FSR Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission Georg Zachmann | Bruegel Jean-Arnold Vinois | Jacques Delors Institute
http://FSR.eui.eu
20 March 2015, CEER Secretariat, Cours Saint-Michel 30a, 1040 Brussels Belgium
01 Introducing the paper European Energy Union, Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission
02 Christian Oliver | Financial Times, opens the debate, Energy Union, Content or Packaging?
03 Debate part 2 04 Debate part 3 05 Debate part 4 06 Questions from the Audience
Debating the European Energy Union Moderated by: Christian Oliver | FT Panellist : Sami Andoura | Jacques Delors Institute/College of Europe Jean-Michel Glachant | FSR Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission Georg Zachmann | Bruegel Jean-Arnold Vinois | Jacques Delors Institute
http://FSR.eui.eu
20 March 2015, CEER Secretariat, Cours Saint-Michel 30a, 1040 Brussels Belgium
01 Introducing the paper European Energy Union, Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission
02 Christian Oliver | Financial Times, opens the debate, Energy Union, Content or Packaging?
03 Debate part 2 04 Debate part 3 05 Debate part 4 06 Questions from the Audience
Debating the European Energy Union Moderated by: Christian Oliver | FT Panellist : Sami Andoura | Jacques Delors Institute/College of Europe Jean-Michel Glachant | FSR Tadhg O'Briain | European Commission Georg Zachmann | Bruegel Jean-Arnold Vinois | Jacques Delors Institute
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
The Vienna Forum is a joint initiative between the Florence School of Regulation and the Energy Community Secretariat and is designed to highlight issues topical both for the EU and the Energy Community. This year’s Forum is divided into 3 sessions. In the first session, representatives from the Commission, the Energy Community and academia discuss the newly created EU’s Energy Union, its future role and its relevance to the Energy Community. The second session centers on decarbonisation and renewable policies. In particular, we discuss the optimal design of RES support schemes and national experiences with certificate markets. The third session addresses law enforcement in the Energy Community. The seminar closes with a roundtable discussion “Ukraine – an Energy Hotspot” bringing together energy regulators, investors, and experts in foreign affairs, diplomacy and the EU-Ukraine energy relations.
00 Welcome and introduction 00a Dirk Buschle | Energy Community Secretariat 00b Keynote speech, The Energy Community – the new pan-European energy governance, Helmut Schmitt von Sydow | University of Lausanne 01 Session 1 Energy – The State of the Union. Chair: Leigh Hancher | Florence School of Regulation/EUI, Tilburg University, Allen & Overy LLP 01a Energy Union and Energy Community – What is the difference? 01a Janez Kopač | Energy Community Secretariat 01b A vision for an Energy Union, Sami Andoura | College of Europe 01c Discussion 02 Session 2 Decarbonisation and Renewables – What Is the Masterplan? 02a Chair: Birgitte Jourdan-Andersen | EFTA Surveillance Authority 02b The design of support schemes: Are auctions the future? Christoph Riechmann | Frontier Economics 02c RES in Poland – new opening., Jan Rączka | Regulatory Assistance Project 02d White certificates: the French experience, Liliana Eskenazi | Allen & Overy LLP 02e Italian photovoltaic legislation: A green success story? Saverio Massari | University of Bologna 02f Making gas part of the EU energy future means making a green gas market: The need for EU recognised green gas certificates , Søren Juel Hansen | Energinet.dk 02g Discussion 03 Session 3 Law Enforcement in the Energy Community 03a Chair: Andreas Gunst | DLA Piper LLP 03b What is wrong with Energy Community law enforcement? Rozeta Karova | Energy Community Secretariat 03c Is a regional court an option? Nikolaus Pitkowitz | Graf & Pitkowitz 03d Discussion 04 Roundtable Ukraine – An Energy Hotspot 04a Chair: Irina Paliashvili | Ukrainian Legal Group 04b An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Vsevolod Chentsov | Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04c What went wrong in 2014? Andrey Belyy | University of Tartu 04d Ukraine and the Internal Energy Market, Walter Boltz | E-Control 04e An intensive year for energy diplomacy, Walter Tretton | EU Delegation 04f Discussion 04g Conclusions , Adrien de Hautecloque | Florence School of Regulation/EUI
http://fsr.eui.eu/ The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today #006 27 March 2015, at the Florence School of Regulation's Specialized Training on Regulation of Gas Markets, Florence, Italy. Jean-Michel asks Jeff Makholm, Senior Vice President of NERA about the importance of institutions in helping the gas industry and whether Europe and China should be put in the same basket. “…pipe lines are dumb inanimate steel tubes… …it all has to do with institutions…” Find Jeff Makholm's book at Chicago University Press on The Political Economy of Pipelines. A Century of Comparative Institutional Development, here http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo12778563.html
http://fsr.eui.eu/ The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today #005 17 March 2015, at the 5th Latin America Energy Econimics Meeting in Medellin, Colombia. Jean-Michel interviews Gas expert Peter R. Hartley, President of the International Association for Energy Economics, and asks him what Europeans should learn from the US shale gas revolution.
http://fsr.eui.eu/ The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today #004 13 March 2015, at the Vienna Forum, Vienna. Dirk Buschle, Deputy Director of the Energy Community talks with the Director of the Florence School of Regulation about the origins of the Energy Community and its challenges today.
"We have maybe been sleeping some time but we have had a couple of wake up calls but people have heard these loudly and clearly..."
"...many countries have realized by now these reforms we are asking them to do are for real, that they are painful, but in the end they will be beneficial."
http://fsr.eui.eu/ The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today #003 03 March 2015, at the European Commission, Brussels Anne Houtman, Principle Adviser to DG Energy at the European Commission answers questions on the Energy Union. “…the Energy Union is an objective…” Anne Houtman
http://fsr.eui.eu/ The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today #002 27 March 2015, Joint Research Centre in Petten, The Netherlands Jean-Arnold Vinois, Former Director of the Internal Energy Market at the European Commission, talks to Jean-Michel Glachant about the European Union
http://fsr.eui.eu/ The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today #001 15th February 2015, Joint Research Centre in Petten, The Netherlands Interview with Jacques de Jong, Senior Fellow at Clinendale International Energy Programme, on the Energy Union
The European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is the largest cap and trade system in the world and this year marks its 10th anniversary. Since its beginning, it has been the subject of a vigorous debate. The EU ETS has created a functioning market for emission allowances with a clear price for carbon emissions. However, the carbon price has sharply declined in these last years and many observers think the instrument is too weak to support the transition to a low carbon society. Yet recently the European Council has taken important decisions to reform the EU ETS. This webinar provides an introduction to the EU ETS and an assessment of its performance. It also presents the current debate and the changing proposals to the EU ETS.
Florence School of Regulation: FSR.EUI.eu
Event Programme: http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Workshop/2015/150130CompletionInternalEnergyMarket.aspx
Introduction Alberto Pototschnig | FSR/EUI
Session 1: Completing the Internal Energy Markets: Consumer Expectation
Peter Claes | IFIEC, The expectation of energy intensive consumers Monika Štajnarová | BEUC, Is the internal energy market delivering for smaller consumers?
Session 2: Progress Towards the Creation of an Internal Electricity Market Christophe Gence-Creux | ACER, Where do we stand? Roundtable: Priorities for completing the internal electricity market Robert Staschus| ENTSO-E Hans Randen | NordPool Spot/Europex
Session 3: Progress Towards the Creation of an Internal Gas Market Dennis Hesseling | ACER, Where do we stand? Roundtable: Priorities for completing the internal gas market Tom Maes | AGWG, (Via conference call, not in video) Vittorio Musazzi | ENTSOG
Overview: In the conclusion of its meeting on 4 February 2011, the Council of the European Union set 2014 as the target date for the completion of the Internal Electricity and Gas Markets. This goal was reaffirmed in the conclusions of the meeting on 22 May 2013. Significant progress has been achieved towards meeting this objective, both in terms of the development of the required market and network operation rules and on the ground. In fact, in terms of rulemaking, two network codes have already been adopted, a third one should be adopted soon and ten more have already been recommended for adoption to the European Commission and they could soon enter into the Comitology process. Moreover, a number of the main provisions in these network codes have already been implemented in practice, through the voluntary cooperation of national regulatory authorities (NRAs), transmission system operators (TSOs) and other stakeholders. This early implementation approach has been supported by the Agency for Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), which has coordinated the definition of a number of Roadmaps for the rapid and effective integration of the electricity and gas markets, to deliver tangible benefits to EU energy consumers as soon as possible. In the electricity day-ahead timeframe, a single market-coupling platform operates, since May 2014, to determine prices and cross-border flows on a large part of the EU, from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Barents Sea. Similarly, a single platform is already used for allocating capacity on the majority of internal EU gas interconnection points. However much still remains to be done. The first coordinated auction for long-term electricity cross-border transmission rights is expected to take place in the second half of 2015, on the basis of harmonised auction rules currently being developed. In the intra-day timeframe of the internal electricity market, the development of a single continuous-trading, market-coupling platform has been repeatedly delayed and the go-live is now expected by the end of 2015 at the earliest, more than two years later than originally planned. Liquidity of many gas hubs still needs to be enhanced so that they could provide robust price signals to determine the efficient flow of gas across the EU. A well-functioning internal energy market is also increasingly recognised as an important contributor to the security of energy supply of the EU, as well as a pre-requisite for any additional measure to promote such security. This Workshop aims at reviewing progress in the creation of a single market in electricity and gas across the EU and at identifying what is still missing so that EU consumers can reap the full benefits. The Workshop will be structured in three sessions. Session I will be devoted to assess energy consumers’ expectations from the internal energy market and the benefits already accrued to them. Sessions II and III will aim at reviewing progress towards the creation of a single market in electricity and natural gas, respectively.
http://fsr.eui.eu/Publications/BOOKLET/Other/FSRManifesto.aspx
The FSR Manifesto is the first systematic attempt that the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) has done to critically reflect upon the achievements of the second Barroso Commission in the various network industries. It also endeavours to establish a realistic outlook onto the challenges that await the Juncker Commission in the various network industries in terms of regulatory policy. On the basis of FSR 10-year experience, four FSR Area Directors and Research Associates, have been observing, analysing and making policy recommendations in the areas of energy, communications and media, transport and water regulation.
Online Live Debate recording http://www.eui.eu/Projects/FSR/Events/ENERGY/Debates/2015/150114EnergyEfficiencylivedebate.aspx
Energy efficiency has become a hot topic in energy and climate domains. Yet, is energy efficiency a real key issue for climate change mitigation? How can it be promoted? Mostly through energy pricing? Is the rebound effect a relevant issue?
These and other key questions will be debated by Tyler Bryant, Energy Policy Analyst, International Energy Agency, and Matthew Kotchen, Professor, Yale University, during an on-line debate on Wednesday, 14 January, at 15.30. The debate will be chaired by Xavier Labandeira, Director of FSR Climate.
Author: Malgorzata Sadowska | FSR Category: FSR webinar recording Level: intermediate Date of release: December 2014
Recorded on 17th December 2014
How does EU law treat capacity mechanisms?
A number of European countries are concerned about the security of their electricity supply and set up capacity mechanisms to encourage investment in new generation or support existing and less profitable conventional power plants.
The European Commission closely examines these state-driven measures under EU law, as their uncoordinated implementation across Europe might have negative effects on the increasingly interconnected energy markets and thwart EU energy policy objectives.
What restrictions can the EU law impose on capacity mechanisms to minimise the distortions of the internal energy market? Can state aid, competition policy and internal market rules work?
http://fsr.eui.eu/Events/ENERGY/Webinar/2014/141217SadowskaWebinar.aspx
This is a recording of webinar held on 17th December 2014, moderated by Riccardo Galletta | Florence School of Regulation
Music "I Could Use Time to Just Chill With You" by Ben Seretan is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Florence School of Regulation FSR.EUI.eu
Organiser: Xavier Labandeira | Director, FSR Climate/EUI Sala del Capitolo, Badia Fiesolana Via dei Roccettini, 9 – San Domenico di Fiesole 7 November 2014
Session 1: General framework Introduction and presentation of participants, Xavier Labandeira Energy efficiency and climate policy: the big picture, Tyler Bryant Energy efficiency policy instruments: issues for application, Lisa Ryan EU energy efficiency policies, Serena Pontoglio Energy efficiency and interactions with other climate policy instruments, Oskar Lecuyer
Session 2: Research needs and gaps Issues for future energy efficiency policies in the EU residential sector, Paolo Bertoldi Energy efficiency policies: the vision of an international power company, Gonzalo Sáenz Funding energy efficiency, Juan Alario/Manuel Dueñas (not in video) Unlocking energy efficiency in transport, Andreas Schäfer
Session 3: Ex-post analysis Energy efficiency policy: issues, methods and data, Matthew Kotchen An overall assessment of energy efficiency instruments, Magnus Söderberg Nudging energy efficiency, Giovanna D’Adda Policy packages, distribution and empirical results for Spain, Xavier Labandeira/Ana Ramos Some empirical results for France, Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet Some empirical results for Germany, Kathrine Von Graevenitz (not in video)
Which regulation to finance transmission investment ? Live Debate with Vincent Rious and Arthur Henriot FSR.EUI.eu 10th December 2014 Which regulation to finance transmission investment in the power sector ?
The development of the European electricity transmission grid plays a key role in the European Union’s strategy to address challenges such as decarbonisation of the generation mix, security of supply and market integration. European objectives of network development in the coming years are ambitious: the projects listed in the ENTSO-E TYNDP 2014, that account for only a part of the total investment needs, amount up to 150 billion euros by 2030.
In a business-as-usual scenarios, regulated Transmission System Operators (TSOs) might not be able to cope with this substantial amount of investment. A new regulatory regime, taking into account the ability of TSOs to finance the investments required for projects of pan-European significance, will be needed.
Regulation (EU) No. 1227/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (REMIT), which entered into force in December 2011, aims at promoting transparency in wholesale energy markets and detecting and deterring market abusive behaviour on these markets. It introduces the explicit prohibition of market manipulation, attempted market manipulation and insider trading, as well as transparency and reporting obligations for market participants and other stakeholders. It also envisages the establishment of an unprecedented market monitoring framework, in which data on wholesale energy market transactions, together with fundamental data, are reported to the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), which is responsible for their screening and initial analysis and assessment. Suspicious events are then notified to national competent authorities (NCAs), typically National Regulatory Authorities for energy (NRAs), for investigation and enforcement.
Usage rights, the competition processes for granting them, and the arising joint obligations vary considerably across different States. These differences might not be driven by efficient economic or environmental criteria and could introduce competition distortions within the European common electricity market. Despite the European Commission has, over the last decade, opened several infringement procedures to prompt the implementation of competitive processes, European countries have not yet undertaken an integrated common approach:
Objective of this webinar are:
• To shed light on state-of-the-art hydropower regulatory regimes in ten European countries • To study the actions of European Institutions regarding these regimes and their possible distortions • To discuss the need to create a continental level playing field for hydropower regimes
Vincent Rious is Vice-Président Régulation at Microeconomix in Paris and adviser of the Florence School of Regulation. He has recently published a policy brief on the topic of this webinar.
Technological developments are reshaping the energy sector. This is all the more true for electricity distribution grids, where the increasing penetration of distributed renewable generation, local storage and electric vehicles will eventually change the way people approach their daily city lives: passive consumers will become active prosumers, who could directly influence network balancing and electricity trade. How far is this future?
Innovative policies are needed to foster innovation while, at the same time, smart regulation will have to cope with the changing roles of DSOs and TSOs, in order to let all stakeholders benefit from this revolution.
Join the FSR online debate between Ana Aguado, Secretary General at EDSO for Smart Grids, and Astrid Brunt, General Counsel at the Norwegian TSO Statnett. The debate will be chaired by Leigh Hancher, Director of the EU Energy Law and Policy Area at the Florence School of Regulation, Professor of European Law at the University of Tilburg, and of Counsel at the Amsterdam office of Allen & Overy.
FSR Regulatory Policy Workshop 2014-2015: CBA and CBCA Methodologies for Projects of Common Interest Friday, 24 October 2014 - Villa Finaly, Florence.
Missed the FSR Workshop? Catch up on the latest discussion between academia, industry and regulators: listen to the key points from speakers at the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA ) and cross-border cost allocation(CBCA) Methodologies for Projects of Common Interest workshop and stay up to date with the debate on what is going on with the EU energy infrastructure policy.
01/07/2014: Emerging talent from the ranks of Edison across Europe are given the opportunity to meet and question their CEO, Bruno Lescoeur, and leading energy academic, Professor Jean-Michel Glachant, over dinner at the European University Institute in Italy.
01/07/2014: Emerging talent from the ranks of Edison across Europe are given the opportunity to meet and question their CEO, Bruno Lescoeur, and leading energy academic, Professor Jean-Michel Glachant, over dinner at the European University Institute in Italy.
01/07/2014: Emerging talent from the ranks of Edison across Europe are given the opportunity to meet and question their CEO, Bruno Lescoeur, and leading energy academic, Professor Jean-Michel Glachant, over dinner at the European University Institute in Italy.
01/07/2014: Emerging talent from the ranks of Edison across Europe are given the opportunity to meet and question their CEO, Bruno Lescoeur, and leading energy academic, Professor Jean-Michel Glachant, over dinner at the European University Institute in Italy.
Presented by: Leonardo Meeus
Moderator: Riccardo Galletta
Does an adequate framework for projects of common interest imply moving towards a dedicated regulatory framework? Or is a default national regulatory framework more suitable?
When facing those questions from a European perspective, the EU and ACER’s roles assume key importance.
The webinar will analyse the following topics: 1. Why some countries have introduced dedicated regulatory frameworks for important electricity infrastructure investments 2. Main differences between the dedicated regulatory frameworks for important electricity infrastructure investments and the default national frameworks 3. The role of the EU and ACER to ensure an adequate regulatory framework for projects of common interest
Leonardo Meeus is associate professor of Energy Markets at the Vlerick Business School in Brussels and part-time professor at the Florence School of Regulation of the European University Institute. He has recently published a policy brief on the topic of this webinar.
http://fsr.eui.eu/News/All/2014/September/140917Webinar.aspx
Arthur Henriot presented the research results of the work on Beyond national generation adequacy policies: conceiving an EU frame for electricity security of supply? conducted together with Jean-Michel Glachant.
Join the discussion on energy and climate policy with Denny Ellerman (Formerly MIT and EUI) and Ignacio Perez-Arriaga (MIT and Comillas). The debate will be chaired by Jean-Michel Glachant (FSR/EUI).
9 September 2014 3:00-3:45 pm CET Moderator: Riccardo Galletta
Registration is now closed
http://fsr.eui.eu/Publications/DEBATE/140909-Ellerman_Perez-Arriaga.aspx