Policy Review

Examination of recent policy and regulatory initiatives

• Boosting Competition in UK: Consultations for CATO selection process underway

  September 9, 2016
  UK is considering introducing competition in onshore power transmission, a responsibility currently held by three incumbent transmission operators (TOs)—National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) in England and Wales, SP Transmission in the south of Scotland, and SHE Transmission in the north of Scotland.

• US-Canada Electric Grid Strategy: Working together to improve grid resilience

  August 12, 2016
  Recent years have witnessed an increase in incidents of cyber and security attacks on the US' high voltage grid. These attacks pose a significant risk to the security and proper functioning of the country's grid.

• New Zealand's Tariff Methodology: Aims to provide correct investment signals

  July 14, 2016
  In May 2016, New Zealand's Electricity Authority (EA) released a consultation paper aimed at changing the way Transpower, the country's sole electricity transmission developer and operator, charge its customers for providing transmission services.

• Expanding Role of Energy Storage in Wholesale Markets: FERC to review rules

  June 9, 2016
  Over the last five years, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued several rules—Orders 755, 784 and 792—that have played an important role in the expansion of the energy storage industry in the United States (US).

• US Senate Energy Bill: Aiming at broad scale modernisation

  May 9, 2016
  The landscape of the energy sector in the United States (US) has changed significantly in the past decade given the increased focus on renewable generation and energy conservation as well as the increased domestic production of oil and gas.

• Germany's Underground Cable Law: New rules aims to accelerate grid expansion [free access]

  April 6, 2016
  In December 2015, the Bundesrat (the second chamber of Germany's federal legislative) passed a Bill approving amendments to various laws concerning power line extension in the country.

• Brazil Issues New Transmission Auction Rules: Aiming to attract more investments

  March 10, 2016
  Recently, Brazil's energy regulator Agencia Nacional de Energia Eletrica (ANEEL) approved new bidding rules for the upcoming transmission auction to be held in April 2016.

• EC Pushes For European Energy Union: 10% interconnectivity resolution passed [free access]

  February 3, 2016
  The European Commission, along with the Members of the European Parliament, is making a concerted effort to create an energy union and internal market in the continent.

• Chile's Draft Transmission Law: Proposals to merge Chile's two main grids

  January 11, 2016
  Chile is currently debating a draft bill that seeks to restructure and reorganise the country's electricity transmission sector.

• Italy's Grid Incentives Framework: Consults on new mechanism for returns

  December 8, 2015
  2015 has been a busy year for the Italian electricity, gas and water services regulator, Autorità per l'energia elettrica il gas e il sistema idrico (AEEGSI), which has been reviewing and consulting on developing a more rigorous incentive mechanism to guide investments in the energy networks and decide revenues for the operators.

• Indian Power Grid Reforms: Recently proposed regulatory moves

  November 10, 2015
  With the rising power demand and increasing share of renewable energy in the total energy mix, India is developing new strategies to strengthen its power transmission network.

• New York's New Policy Requirements: To relieve grid congestion in the region

  October 6, 2015
  Western New York is facing a grid network congestion problem, which is limiting the output from the region's hydroelectric resources and restricting imports from Canada.

• US' New Cyber Security Standards: Aims to strengthen bulk electric system [free access]

  September 10, 2015
  The Unites States' Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is working on improving the cyber security norms for the country's bulk electric system (BES).

• Improving US' Grid Security: Congress introduces three new bills

  August 10, 2015
  In July 2015, the US Congress introduced three new bills to modernise energy infrastructure, bolster the country's energy security and diplomacy, promote energy efficiency and safeguard critical energy infrastructure.

• Japan's Power Sector Reforms: Law enacted to enable legal unbundling

  July 13, 2015
  Japan embarked on aggressive electricity market reforms as part of the larger Japan Revitalisation Strategy in 2013.

• Electricity Reforms in South Asia: Proposed amends to Electricity Acts

  June 10, 2015
  The South Asian countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are all reforming their electricity sector through amendments to their respective electricity laws.

• Germany to Amend Laws: To accelerate transmission development

  May 7, 2015
  The German government is trying hard to accelerate the slow pace of transmission infrastructure development in the country.

• Launching Mexico's Electricity Market: Draft guidelines announced

  April 10, 2015
  Following the energy reforms initiated in 2013, Mexico's electricity sector has witnessed a great deal of activity, at least on the policy front. In the latest development, the Secretaría de Energía (SENER) or the Ministry of Energy, framed draft guidelines for the creation of an electricity market.

• Australia's Grid Privatisation Plans: Aimed at reducing network costs [free access]

  March 10, 2015
  In June 2014, the state government of New South Wales (NSW) announced that it intends to privatise the NSW electricity networks.

• New Tariff Regulations in Portugal: Aim at rationalising network investment

  February 10, 2015
  The Portuguese energy regulator Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços Energéticos (ERSE) recently enforced four new tariff regulations for the 2015-17 regulatory period.