Policy Review

Examination of recent policy and regulatory initiatives

• DoE's New Cybersecurity Guidance: For strengthening grid supply chain

  May 1, 2014
  In a bid to make the power grid strong and secure, the US Department of Energy (DoE) released a new guidance, the Cybersecurity Procurement Language for Energy Delivery Systems, in April 2014.

• Liberalising Honduras' Power Sector: New electricity law passed

  April 1, 2014
  Recently in January 2014, the Honduran Congress passed the Electricity Industry Law, a legislation aimed at liberalising the country's energy sector, which has traditionally been dominated by state-owned power company Empresa Nacional de Energía Eléctrica (ENEE).

• Europe's Energy and Climate Change Goals: EC announces policy framework for 2030 [free access]

  March 7, 2014
  Recently in January 2014, the European Commission (EC) announced the new climate and energy targets for 2030, which will further the progress towards establishing a low-carbon economy and a competitive and secure energy system that ensures affordable energy for consumers, increases the security of energy supplies, reduces dependence on energy imports and creates new opportunities for growth and jobs.

• Mexico Energy Sector Reforms: Allows private sector participation

  February 12, 2014
  In a significant development, the Mexican government has undertaken massive reforms in the energy sector, both in the oil and gas as well as electricity sectors.

• EC Issues State Intervention Guidelines: To make most of public interventions

  January 13, 2014
  The member states of the Europe Union (EU) have been committed in pursuing ambitious climate and energy targets. By 2020, the plan is to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), a 20 per cent share for renewables in the EU energy mix and a 20 per cent increase in energy efficiency.

• California's 2020 Energy Storage Targets: Setting a new paradigm for RE

  December 10, 2013
  In a significant development, California, which is pursuing an aggressive carbon policy in the US, has set official energy storage targets for 2020.

• Revisiting Permitting Policy: Accelerating Transmission Project Development in US

  November 1, 2013
  Infrastructure projects including power transmission have been facing delays and uncertainty in the US, hindering investment and economic growth.

• UK Policy for Offshore Development: Attracting investments to decarbonise the economy [free access]

  October 1, 2013
  The UK government is in the process of creating a strong policy and regulatory framework to ensure its targeted transition to a decarbonised economy by 2050 is smooth.

• New Transmission Pricing in UK: To Support Low Carbon Economic Goals

  September 1, 2013
  UK is aligning its energy policies to ensure that the country is able to achieve its target set under the European Union's climate and energy package.

• Japan's Power Sector Reforms: Launched to promote clean and affordable energy [free access]

  August 1, 2013
  The recent victory of the ruling government under the leadership of Shinzo Abe in Japan's Upper House of Parliament (Diet) will boost the economic reform agenda being pursued by the government since it came into power in December 2012.

• Germany to Amend Energy Law: Incentives proposed to boost grid investment

  July 1, 2013
  Rising energy costs resulting from Germany's drive to transition to renewables has recently been a matter of concern for the power industry. There has even been international criticism on the subject, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) warning that rising power prices are likely to erode public support for green energy.

• New cyber security standards: FERC proposes to approve new CIP standards

  June 1, 2013
  As grid operations become increasingly automated and are connected to the Internet or other computer networks incorporating two-way communications, they also become...

• Ancillary Services: The next step in the Indian power market

  May 1, 2013
  Introduction of ancillary services has long been under discussion in India and regulatory initiatives have now been taken to implement these services. Continuously balancing ...

• Germany's Second Grid Law: Federal network plan adopted

  April 1, 2013
  In December 2012, the German government approved the ‘Second Act on Measures to Accelerate Network Expansion of Electricity Grids' (or Zweiten Gesetzes...

• UK Energy Bill Amendment: Addressing generator build commissioning concerns

  March 1, 2013
  Offshore wind energy generation will play a crucial role in helping the UK government achieve its goal of meeting 15 per cent of the country's energy needs from renewable...

• EU's New Energy Network Rules: Shortens permit process, increases fund access

  February 1, 2013
  The creation of an energy infrastructure, particularly electricity grids and pipelines, is key to achieving Europe's 2020 energy goals. One of the goals is to increase the share of renewable energy to 20 per cent of the final energy consumption by 2020, for which a powerful and well-integrated power network is needed to transfer remotely located wind and solar energy to load centres.

• Australia's New Rules for Power Networks: For ensuring reasonable consumer prices

  January 1, 2013
  In a bid to strengthen the National Electricity Rules (NER) that govern operations of the national electricity market, the Australian Electricity Market Commission (AEMC) announced amendments to the same by introducing new rules to regulate electricity network prices in November 2012.

• Alberta's New Transmission Rules: AUC's role in project approval strengthened [free access]

  December 1, 2012
  Given Alberta's economic growth and increasing population, demand for power in the Canadian province is forecast to double over the next 20 years. Building a robust grid is...

• Electricity Concession Renewals in Brazil: Dilemma on future investment in the sector

  November 1, 2012
  Beginning next year (2013), Brazil will see one of the biggest ever cuts in its electricity tariffs. The government recently announced certain tax reforms that will lower the ...

• FERC's New Cybersecurity Initiatives: Sets up a group to secure critical infrastructure

  October 1, 2012
  With the US Congress failing to pass legislation to improve the cybersecurity of the nation's critical infrastructure, the federal energy regulator seems to be taking matters...