The new EU electricity package, repackaged as a six hands Christmas wish list...

Abstract

The eight legislative proposals in the “Clean energy for all Europeans” Package are the answer of the European Commission to ultimately deliver an affordable, sustainable and reliable European Power System for present and future generations. • As electricity is to become – by far – ‘The’ energy driver for the decades to come, Europe’s experience in this industry is a major asset to (re) take a leadership position. We, the three authors with six hands, jointly believe that this package provides an excellent proposal to achieve a significant step forward for the Internal Energy Market, empowering and servicing energy consumers, improving energy markets to optimise European resources, increasing shares of renewable energy and reducing energy consumption. • For this to happen, it should not come as a surprise that some principles, rules, processes and, as a matter of consequence, decade-old procedures have to be revamped or replaced. Some of the proposed changes in this Package are of this nature. Not surprisingly, Member States and many interest groups from the traditional industry oppose some of the changes, especially the ones that reduce national and company control over ‘their’ Power System. • Seeing the danger of ending with a watered down version of the Clean Energy for All Europeans package, we have taken the initiative to give you our 2017 Christmas Wish List made with four electricity topics taken from the 2016 Winter Package: (1) Security of Supply, (2) Demand Response, (3) Energy Communities, and (4) Regional Operation Centres.