The Bundeskartellamt, the German Anti-Trust Authority, has published its fifth Market Power Report, which describes the conditions of competition in the generation of electricity, by analysing the market power situation in the generation and first-time sale of electricity in the period from 1 May 2023 to 30 April 2024.
According to this report, the German energy utility RWE remains the dominant player on the country''s energy market. The power plants of RWE were found to have been indispensable for meeting electricity demand during the reporting period. The degree of RWE''s indispensability (determined by the periods in which it would be possible for RWE to systematically increase market prices) remained at a level exceeding the threshold for the presumption of a dominant position, in contrast with the previous report where LEAG and EnBW were also close to the threshold but have now fallen significantly below it.
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An internal Commission document, seen by Euractiv, says that the paper would be a "broad policy reflection” to “inform a possible European reform towards a fully integrated internal market for electricity.”
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The European Commission is considering whether to embark upon another decade of energy market reform. [EPA-EFE/OLIVIER MATTHYS]
The European Commission''s energy department may issue a White Paper in 2025 which would lay the ground for further electricity market reforms, according to an internal document seen by Euractiv.
The new college of commissioners has been tasked with lowering energy prices, but in their hearings in front of the European Parliament in November, the relevant commissioners did not commit to revising power market rules.
However, the internal document, which dates from July, says that the paper would be a "broad policy reflection" to "inform a possible European reform towards a fully integrated internal market for electricity."
A similar 2012 White Paper paper resulted in the transformative ''Clean energy for all Europeans'' package of eight new laws, and was designed to "to give all Europeans access to secure, competitive and sustainable energy."
Since the Package was agreed, the percentage of renewables in the European energy system has increased significantly.
This has led to new challenges, such as spikes in system dispatch costs, which reached €4 billion in 2023, as grid operators struggle to cope with electricity loads during periods of high solar and wind production.What to expectCommission energy officials are interested in creating "stronger locational investment signals," which would encourage new renewable generation to be installed where it is most productive.
Germany''s regulator, BNetzA, recently published a position paper on the subject, urging cheaper construction charges for installations in desired locations.
The Commission is also eying a consolidation of energy regulation powers, from regulators like BNetzA to a more centralised authority.
"Many decisions with direct cross-border relevance are currently still dependent on regulatory authorities established at national level, leading to delays and inefficiencies," the document states.
"Several regulatory tasks and responsibilities" are being conducted by "private bodies with commercial interests," it adds.
The document stresses that key market functions "such as market coupling" need to be "centralised " for the European system to function properly.
The "Commission is right to point the finger at fossil gas as the culprit to high energy prices and suggest that investments in renewables, grids, and flexibility are the way forward," Tom Lewis, an energy expert with NGO CAN Europe, told Euractiv, but warned that this approach risks favouring industry over consumers.
"Rising network tariffs due to grid infrastructure investments risk keeping electricity prices high, and it is only right that these costs are shared equitably across society with the most vulnerable protected," he added.
[Edited by Donagh Cagney/Owen Morgan]
In anerawherethe globalenergylandscapeisundergoingtransformative shifts, theInternational Energy Agency (IEA)presentsacompellinganalysisinitsrecentreport, "Electricity2024".Associetiesembracetechnologies reliant onelectricity,fromelectricvehiclestoheatpumps, theimportanceof asustainableandsecurepowersupplycannotbeoverstated.
The International Energy Agency (IEA)predictsafastergrowthinglobalelectricitydemandover thenextthreeyears,with85% of theincreasecomingfromoutsideadvancedeconomies,notablyChina,India, andSoutheastAsia. The reportindicatesa shifttowardslow-emissionsources,suchasrenewablesandnuclearpower,whichareexpectedtoconstitutealmosthalfof theworld''selectricitygenerationby 2026,reducingtheroleoffossilfuels.Renewablesare set tosurpasscoalinprovidingone-thirdof globalelectricitybyearly2025.
The report highlights adeclinein globalemissionsfromelectricitygeneration,projectinga2.4%decreasein 2024 spitelowerelectricitypricesin 2023,regionalvariations impacteconomiccompetitiveness.Emergingeconomiesshowrobustelectricitydemandgrowth,withChinaleadingin volume, andIndiaexperiencingthefastestgrowthamongmajoreconomies.However, the report notes stagnantelectricityuse per capita inAfricafor overthreedecades,emphasizingtheneedfor international collaboration toaddressthischallenge.
This dynamic was intensified in Europe by the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Calls to change the electricity market design to better protect customers from price distortions have led to the start of a reform process in Europe. But how did we get here, and what kind of market design is best suited to providing a reliable, sustainable, affordable power supply?
Eurelectric will discuss these key questions at its upcoming event on an Electricity Market Design Fit for net zero.
In the early 20th century, electricity was primarily produced and distributed by state-owned companies. These national systems were characterised by a vertically integrated structure, where a single entity controlled the entire value chain from generation to distribution. The goal was to provide reliable electricity to citizens, with little concern for competition or market efficiency.
In the 1980s and 1990s, however, the European Commission began advocating for the liberalisation of the market. The idea was to introduce competition and incentivise efficiency, as well as to create a single market for electricity that would facilitate cross-border trade and increase security of supply.
This led to a wave of privatisations and the unbundling of the electricity industry across Europe, with many state-owned companies required to separate their generation, transmission, and distribution activities into separate legal entities. This process was intended to prevent the potential for monopolistic behaviour and allow for more market-driven pricing. In addition, the transition to a more market-based system required the creation of new regulatory bodies, as well as new trading platforms and market rules.
Liberalisation has largely been successful in achieving its goals. The creation of a single market has facilitated cross-border trade and increased security of supply, and the separation of generation, transmission, and distribution activities has allowed for greater competition and market efficiency.
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