About: electricity market
EU official: Rich people win most from regulated energy tariffs
Whether it’s for heating their swimming pools or to power their air conditioning systems and home appliances, regulated electricity prices “give the greatest potential benefit to richer households” who consume the largest amounts of energy, says Klaus-Dieter Borchard.
Regulated tariffs under fire as clean energy gains momentum
Electricity prices regulated by the government are commonplace in Europe, chiefly out of concern for vulnerable consumers. But they also undermine the adoption of innovative demand-response technologies, which are key to integrate higher shares of renewables and electric cars.
WindEurope: Regulated prices ‘can only slow the pace of the energy transition’
With growing shares of renewable energies added to the system, the dynamic pricing of electricity becomes even more important in order to provide flexibility on the demand side, says Pierre Tardieu. This is why regulated energy prices can only slow the pace of the energy transition, he argues.
Regulated energy prices: The end of an era?
Many European countries have various types of limits on gas and electricity prices paid by consumers, a legacy inherited from the post-war period.
Power sector ‘concerned’ about new EU data privacy rules
A proposed ePrivacy regulation currently under discussion at EU level would hurt new business models in the clean energy sector, which are “almost all” based on the collection and treatment of data by home equipment and smart meters, warns an industry coalition.
Transparency, a central bone of contention in EU power market overhaul
Whether it relates to electricity prices charged to customers, the calculation of grid availability across borders, or the EU’s law-making process itself, the quest for transparency has emerged as a cross-cutting theme in Europe’s ongoing power market reform.
Germany’s ‘strategic reserves’ for coal under fire in EU Council
A group of seven countries – comprising France, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Ireland and the UK – have issued a common position on the reform of Europe’s electricity market, saying “strategic reserves” for electricity should not receive favourable treatment from regulators.
Italy and Poland’s electricity markets face uncertain future
The ongoing reform of "capacity markets" for electricity, which remunerate power plants for remaining on standby in case of demand peak, should be technologically neutral in order to allow disruptive technologies like digitalisation and blockchain to develop, argue energy experts from across Europe.
People leading the renewable revolution
With its updated Renewable Energy Directive, the EU has sent a clear signal that citizens and communities are key to the energy transition’s success. The next step is to empower these groups to access the market and use their untapped potential, writes Emily Rochon.
Electricity market reform: A European tour
The European Commission wants to reform “capacity mechanisms” put in place across EU member states to remunerate power plants that remain on standby in case of a demand peak, arguing they distort the market. But views differ on their value amid wide-ranging national disparities.
Grid neutrality is a prerequisite for energy storage to flourish
Without energy storage, the EU target for renewable energy cannot be reached. And that can only succeed if the incentives for investment are set correctly and if “ownership unbundling” rules in the EU energy market are strictly enforced, writes Dr. Hans Wolf von Koeller.
Austria unveils energy, environment work plan at EU helm
The Austrian Presidency of the EU will aim to reach agreement on two flagship pieces of legislation during its six-month stint at the EU helm – including new CO2 emissions standards for cars and vans for 2030 and a controversial reform of the electricity market.
Conducting the new energy orchestra – or is it a circus?
The decarbonisation of electric power, and the electrification of energy, is unstoppable. Whether it will be rapid enough to prevent the coming climate crisis is uncertain and will demand vision from politicians, industry leaders and energy providers, writes Andrew Steer.
Portugal breaks 100% renewables mark but remains isolated
Portugal produced more power from clean energy sources in March than it actually needed, marking the first time in the 21st century that renewables have topped 100% of its production. But a dearth of energy connections with the rest of Europe remains problematic.
Karins MEP: ‘Small-scale electricity producers don’t need special protection’
Unregulated electricity prices – and equal access to the grid for both large and small producers – are the only way to ensure higher share of renewables in the long run, says Latvian MEP Krišjānis Kariņš.
German power deal spells demise of the integrated utility model
An all-German deal to split Innogy between RWE and E.ON looks set to create a template for European utilities M&A that includes the demise of the integrated model, no more big cross-border deals and a quest for emerging market growth.
Believe it or not, the EU can look to the US for inspiration on ending coal subsidies
In January this year, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of the United States unanimously rejected proposals by the Trump administration that would have allowed coal subsidies under the guise of energy "resilience". This is exactly the principle that should now guide EU legislators, writes Joanna Flisowska.
Germany’s ‘green’ energy production up 1,000% since 1990
Since 1990, the production of "green" electricity in Germany has increased by 1,000% and export rates, according to preliminary data for 2017, just smashed another record. EURACTIV Poland’s partner WysokieNapiecie.pl reports.
Solar growth ‘threatened’ by new EU power market rules
EXCLUSIVE / Households, schools and hospitals that decide to place solar panels on their rooftop could be exposed to the same responsibilities as big energy utilities under new EU electricity market rules currently being drafted in the European Parliament, EURACTIV.com has learned.
People power? EU gets low marks on ‘energy communities’
When the European Commission tabled its Winter Package of clean energy laws in November 2016, there was a smell of revolution in the air, with Brussels pitching a future where citizens would be empowered to generate their own electricity, consume it locally and sell it back to the grid.
A new era: The digitalisation of Europe’s energy system
The clean energy transition requires first and foremost bridging energy and digital economy. The single energy market and the digital single market must go hand-in-hand, argues Dominique Ristori.
Electricity networks: Connecting the dots
The growing electrification of the economy, driven by renewables, requires additional power networks to cope with the expected surge in demand for electric vehicles and consumer-centred services. EURACTIV explores the implications in this Special Report.
Greek energy companies annoyed by ‘late’ amendments to renewables regulation
Private energy providers are upset with Greek politicians, claiming that they make “last minute” amendments to bills that change the regulatory framework and distort the renewable energy market.