Clean Energy Package
SEMINAR

ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION:
IS BALANCING RESPONSIBILITY “RENEWABLES-PROOF”?

According to the assessments attached to the Clean Energy Package, wind and solar energies might supply nearly 30% of the overall electricity produced in the EU in 2030. Their intermittent and decentralised nature increases the complexity of the mission entrusted to transmission system operators, which consists in constantly balancing consumption and production. The nature of the new challenges linked to renewables’ integration makes the case for a European response in order to guarantee a transition in the best possible conditions, as well as a greater flexibility of the European electricity market. The electricity transport networks will indeed face the challenge of integrating in satisfactory conditions the massive arrival of these new sources of electricity, while the lack of capacities is becoming more and more significant in Europe.

These observations lead us to interrogate the evolution of the balancing responsibility and its repartition among actors of the electricity production system (producers, consumers, third parties etc.), which is deeply impacted by the arrival of these new entrants.

What balancing parameters for a fair distribution of responsibility among the actors of an increasingly intermittent and decentralised European market?

The discussions will follow the following steps:

1. State of the art; how is balancing achieved today?
2. What does the Commission propose in its text to integrate the new entrants to the market? What is the perspective of the other EU institutions (European Parliament / Council of the EU)?
3. What experience from the actors “on the ground” within the member States?
4. What difficulties exist? What are the possible solutions?

Representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council will compare their points of view with those of the network operators and market players. Each speaker will have about 10 minutes for their contribution and will then be invited to comment on those of other speakers, then participate in the open debate with the audience.

Speakers :

• Vincent THOUVENIN, Director for European affairs, RTE

• James MATTHYS-DONNADIEU, Head of Market Integration, ELIA

• Dr. Doerte FOUQUET, Director, European Renewable Energies Federation

• Nicolas KUEN, Policy Officer, DG ENERGY, European Commission

• Dr. Magnus BROLIN, R&D Portfolio Manager Energy Markets and Systems, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden of the Business Region of Göteborg