Market Coupling and the organization of counter-trading: separating energy and transmission again (original) (raw)

The horizontal integration of the energy market and the organization of transmission services remain two open issues in the restructured European electricity sector. The coupling of the French, Belgian and Dutch electricity markets (the trilateral market) in November 2006 was a real success that the inclusion of Germany to the trilateral market should soon prolong. But the extension of market coupling whether in Central Western Europe or in other European regions encounters several difficulties and the future remains far from clear. The highly meshed grid of continental Europe complicates things and it is now sometimes recognized that the penetration of wind will further exacerbate these difficulties. The nodal system could go a long way towards solving these problems, but its implementation is not yet foreseen in the EU. This paper analyzes versions of market coupling that differ by the organization of counter- trading. While underplayed in current discussions, counter-trading will...

The integration of the European electricity markets at a turning point: from the regional model to the Third Legislative Package

In this paper we discuss the EU policy on electricity markets integration by reviewing the experience of the Electricity Regional Initiatives. The regional approach to market integration delivered important results in areas such as coordination among national transmission system operators, implementation of market-based mechanisms for cross-border transmission capacity allocation and transparency. Furthermore, the inclusive governance process lead by ERGEG gave voice to all relevant stakeholders. However, there are indications that the regional model reached its limit when faced with the objective of coordinating day-ahead and real-time markets. The unanimity approach at the regional level made the intra-regional decision-making process extremely slow. Further, inter-regional integration issues have not been solved yet and attempts to tackle them by prioritising projects in some Regions weakened the pluralistic attributes of the regional model. The Third Legislative Energy Package h...

The EU Still Waiting for a Seamless Electricity Transmission System: Missing Pillars and Roadblocks

The EU does not have a truly seamless electricity transmission system in place yet. Borders still matter when system planning, expansion and operation are at stake. This fact has a negative consequence on the achievement of the European goals in the field of electricity. Three core pillars, currently missing, must be addressed by national and European policy-makers to move forward: coordination of actions and decisions, sharing of benefits and costs, and solidarity beyond costs and benefits. The importance of these pillars is apparent when considering two issues that have become particularly critical in the last few years: redispatching actions and electricity crisis management. If the three missing pillars are not taken seriously, issues like those of redispatching and crisis management can transform in insurmountable roadblocks on the path towards the establishment of a single market for electricity with high levels of security of supply and a low carbon generation mix.

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