Policy Review

Examination of recent policy and regulatory initiatives

• Shenzhen Power Grid Pilot Scheme: Aims to bring reforms in power sector

  January 8, 2015
  For over a decade, China's government has pledged to make its monopolistic power sector more transparent and competitive.

• EU's 2030 Climate Change Targets: Targets set for creating cleaner energy sector

  December 10, 2014
  While the European Union (EU) is believed to be making noteworthy progress towards meeting its ‘Climate and Energy Targets for 2020', an integrated policy framework is needed ...

• Ownership Unbundling: European network unbundling rules relaxed [free access]

  November 9, 2014
  On September 16, 2014, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) unveiled proposals to amend the implementation of the UK's energy ownership unbundling rules.

• Mexico's New Electricity Law: Reforms introduced to create competitive market [free access]

  October 1, 2014
  In August 2014, the Mexican government passed secondary energy reform laws, marking the conclusion of the legislative process aimed at reforming the country's energy sector.

• India Amends Forest Norms: Allows regional committees to grant approvals

  September 9, 2014
  The Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has recently relaxed the forest clearance norms to fast track the approval process of infrastructure projects.

• North American Energy Infrastructure Act: Aims to streamline approval process

  August 11, 2014
  To ensure a more secure and efficient North American energy market, the US House of Representatives recently passed the North American Energy Infrastructure Act (H.R.3301) in June 2014.

• EC's Ecodesign Transformer Regulations: Expected to yield significant energy savings

  July 10, 2014
  Recently, in May 2014, the European Commission adopted the ecodesign regulation for transformers. These regulations will ensure that transformers become progressively more efficient as new units that are put into service in the European Union (EU) internal market will have to fulfil minimum energy efficiency requirements starting July 1, 2015.

• Ensuring grid security: NERC issues draft physical security reliability standard

  June 10, 2014
  To address physical security risks and vulnerabilities related to the reliable operation of the bulk power system, the North American Electric Reliability Commission (NERC) recently issued a draft of the proposed Physical Security Reliability Standard (CIP-014-1).

• 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...