EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)

📣 Today, ACER releases its report on the #Romanian #gas transmission #tariffs directed at the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), the National Regulatory Authority (#NRA) of Romania. 📄 The report assesses whether the proposed reference price methodology (#RPM) complies with the requirements of the #NetworkCode on Harmonised #TransmissionTariff structures (NC TAR). What are the key findings? 🧐 After analysing the NRA’s consultation document, ACER finds that, while most of the required information is available, the absence of important elements prevents a complete assessment of the proposed methodology’s compliance with the Network Code requirements. What does ACER recommend? 📍 ACER recommends that the NRA, when adopting its decision, further justify the choice of the proposed RPM by including the following elements: 👉 Further considerations on the system’s technical characteristics and flow dynamics, focusing on distance as a potential cost driver. 👉 The conclusions drawn from the comparison of the proposed RPM with the Capacity Weighted Distance methodology. 👉 A detailed assessment of the proposed RPM against all requirements outlined in the network code. 📌 ACER also invites ANRE to clarify how costs associated with the inclusion of the “transit” pipeline (part of the Trans-Balkan pipeline infrastructure) in the national transmission system have been taken into account. Read more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dEwvcZHx

⏳ You still have time to #apply for ACER’s Expert Group on #EU-wide #flexibility needs assessment! 🗓️ Deadline: 10 February 2025 🔗 https://lnkd.in/daWe5Faa

📢 ACER will consult on inter-temporal cost allocation mechanisms for financing hydrogen infrastructure. 🧐 The #EU’s #hydrogen and #DecarbonisedGas market package (2024) aims to support the development of a competitive #HydrogenMarket and the integration of #renewable gases into Europe’s #EnergySystem. To achieve this, the package extends ACER’s role to include new hydrogen-related tasks. ✍ The Regulation tasks ACER with issuing a recommendation on the methodologies for setting inter-temporal #CostAllocation by 5 August 2025 and update it at least every two years. What is inter-temporal cost allocation? 💡 Developing a #European hydrogen market will require significant infrastructure investment. However, funding this #infrastructure through traditional #tariffs (fees paid by network users) could result in extremely high fees for early users, making hydrogen less affordable and potentially discouraging further demand. ✔️ To address this issue, the Regulation on hydrogen and decarbonised gas market grants #MemberStates the authority to allow hydrogen #NetworkOperators to recover infrastructure costs over time through inter-temporal cost allocation mechanisms. These aim to ensure a fair distribution of costs between early and future hydrogen consumers, ensuring that the former are not disproportionately burdened. 📑 ACER’s recommendation will provide guidance to Transmission System Operators (#TSOs), Distribution System Operators (#DSOs), hydrogen network operators, and National Regulatory Authorities (#NRAs) on how to develop and implement these mechanisms effectively. 🙋🙋♂️ Have your say! 📅 ACER will run a public consultation from 10 to 31 March 2025 to gather inputs from #stakeholders and inform its drafting 👉 https://lnkd.in/d2twGi78

🎉 ACER’s latest REMIT Quarterly is out! 🔎 ACER’s REMIT Quarterly provides updates on the Regulation on Wholesale #EnergyMarket Integrity and Transparency (#REMIT) and related activities to help #European #MarketParticipants stay informed. 🤔 What is in the latest #REMITQuarterly? The 39th edition covers the fourth quarter of 2024 and includes: 👉 ACER’s work on data reporting following the #revisedREMIT (2024). 👉 Key takeaways from November’s joint roundtables with stakeholders on the upcoming revision of the REMIT Implementing Regulation, #DataReporting Guidance, and the new Annex to the #TransactionReporting User Manual (#TRUM). 👉 Minutes of the 3rd and 4th Expert groups’ meetings on Wholesale #Energy #MarketData Reporting and on #WholesaleEnergy Market #Integrity and #Transparency. 👉 Obligations for #hydrogen market participants to disclose inside information. 👉 Updates on guidance documents on REMIT transaction reporting and trends in data reporting, including top 5 reporting entities. 👉 Overview of #REMITbreach cases in 2024, with 390 cases under review at the end of Q4. 👉 Summary of 2024 #trading activities on #OrganisedMarketPlaces. …and much more! 🔎 Dive into the latest ACER REMIT Quarterly 👉 https://lnkd.in/dtnFUnzH

🕛 Today, 31 January, marks the final day of the EU’s #gas Market Correction Mechanism (#MCM). 🔚 🧐 Established by the MCM Regulation in December 2022, in the midst of the #EnergyCrisis, this mechanism was designed to protect #EU citizens and the economy against excessively high #EnergyPrices. It tasked ACER with the calculation and publication of a daily MCM reference price. It entered into force on 1 February 2023 for an initial year and was later extended to 31 January 2025. 💡 What is the MCM? The MCM was a safeguard to cap #GasPrices in the EU. It would activate only if: 1️⃣ Gas prices at EU hubs exceeded €180/MWh for three consecutive working days. 2️⃣ These prices were at least €35/MWh higher than the MCM reference price during the same period. Upon activation, a bidding limit would cap #GasTrading prices to protect the #market from further escalation. ❌ The MCM was never activated, as market conditions never met these thresholds. 🔎 The MCM’s effects on energy and financial markets have been closely monitored by ACER and by European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) respectively - no significant impacts on the market have been directly attributed to it. Read more about the MCM 👉 https://lnkd.in/dXU4xrBA

🎯 Want to make informed decisions about your energy costs? 💶 📊 ACER has updated its data dashboard, which tracks monthly changes in #HouseholdEnergy prices across #EU Member States and #Norway from January 2019 to December 2024. 🔎 The dashboard provides valuable insights for #policymakers, consumer protection groups, and EU citizens by highlighting trends in end-user #electricity and #gas prices, supporting informed decisions on #energy affordability and system costs. What are the key findings? ⚡ Electricity prices: In 2024, household #ElectricityPrices decreased by 5% compared to 2023. This was mainly due to a 17% fall in the energy component of prices. However, this decline was partially offset by higher network costs and the phasing out of certain subsidies. In Q4, prices and their composition remained steady, showing no significant changes compared to the previous quarter. 🔥 Gas prices: Similarly, household #GasPrices fell by an average of 7% in 2024, driven by the 20% drop in the energy component. Removal of subsidies contributed to a rise in the tax component, partially offsetting the decrease. In the last quarter, the average end-user gas prices slightly increased. What lies ahead? ☀ The drop in #EnergyCosts reflects the impact of Europe's growing use of #renewables. However, as #RenewableEnergy generation expands, there will be a need for substantial investment in #EnergyInfrastructure, which could lead to higher network costs in the future. 📄 The European Commission’s upcoming Action Plan on #EnergyAffordability will be key in addressing these challenges. The current trends highlight the importance of looking at the overall costs of the #EnergySystem (including network and infrastructure expenses), rather than focusing solely on commodity costs. ACER will continue updating the dashboard quarterly to monitor the developments in energy affordability for #European consumers. 📊 Explore the ACER dashboard 👉 https://lnkd.in/daRYx9C7

📢 ACER amends the methodology for harmonising cross-zonal #electricity #balancing capacity allocation ⚡️ 📑 In July 2024, ACER received a proposal from Transmission System Operators (#TSOs) to amend the methodology for harmonising #CrossZonal capacity allocation for the exchange of #BalancingCapacity or sharing of reserves. 🔎 The methodology (approved by ACER in 2023) harmonises the processes (i.e., #MarketBased and #cooptimisation) that compare the market value of cross-zonal capacity between balancing capacity and #DayAhead #ElectricityMarkets. These processes rely on an algorithm that optimises the allocation of available cross-zonal capacity in a way that maximises overall market welfare. The updated methodology: 👉 clarifies the governance of the market-based process to ensure its efficient implementation and operation; 👉 allows to establish rules for distributing congestion income resulting from cross-zonal capacity allocation among TSOs. ✔️ ACER’s Decision also grants TSOs more time to develop the harmonised market-based software and offers flexibility to those already operating regional market-based processes to adapt to the methodology’s new requirements. 🗣 ACER consulted extensively with stakeholders before amending the methodology. What are the next steps? 🔄 TSOs are required to develop the harmonised market-based software by June 2026. 📅 Full implementation of the harmonised market-based allocation process is not expected before September 2027, pending approval from the relevant National Regulatory Authorities (#NRAs). Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/dCwBKYV5

📢 ACER is looking for a #PolicyOfficer in the #Market #DataReporting #Team, to join our Market Information and Transparency Department. 📅 Deadline to #apply: 25 February 2025 (14:00 CET) 🕵️♀️ A core task of the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) is to detect and deter wholesale energy #MarketManipulation and abuse. 🔍 We are seeking a #PolicyOfficer who has a Degree in Law, Maths, or Economics and experience in areas like: ✔️ client/stakeholder relationship management ✔️  designing and delivering accurate and relevant data reports ✔️ drafting business requirements or similar documentation in English ✔️ project management 👀 Interested in learning more about this ACER’s job? 👉 ℹ️ See the LinkedIn job: https://lnkd.in/eyN3t3BA ℹ️ See the selection notice: https://lnkd.in/dU8sh6Gx

📣 Open call for experts to join ACER’s new Expert Group on #EU-wide #flexibility needs assessment. 🙋🙋♂️ ACER is establishing an Expert Group to assess flexibility needs in the #EUelectricity system. We are looking for professionals with expertise in power #MarketModelling, #EnergyMarkets, #EnergySystems, #EnergyEconomics, #EnergyPolicy and #EnergyRegulations. 📩 The deadline for applications is 10 February 2025. 🧐 What will be the Expert Group’s focus? 🍃 Due to the massive ramp up of #RenewableEnergy, the EU’s #power system #flexibility needs are expected to double by 2030. 📜 The Electricity Market Design Regulation (2024) mandates ACER to conduct a pan-European flexibility needs assessment, to be published in July 2027. The assessment will evaluate the EU’s #electricity system’s ability to adapt to fluctuating demand and generation, cost-effectively integrate variable #renewables, and ensure #SecurityOfSupply. 💡 The Expert Group, which will operate until April 2027, will support ACER in the development of a robust #AnalyticalTool for this assessment and provide insights on: 👉 #modelling techniques and their implementation; 👉 solutions to simulate and quantify the flexibility needs of the system; and 👉 other key topics related to improving system flexibility. 🔗 Read more and apply: https://lnkd.in/daWe5Faa 🔗 See the open letter: https://lnkd.in/dkqhk2r2

🚀 Bigger management team, ACER work programme – all set for 2025! Exciting start to the new year at ACER! 🎉 Today, we extend a warm welcome to 3 new members to our senior management team who took up their posts this week: ⭐ Karina Knaus, Head of Market Information and Transparency Department ⭐ Karin Lunning, Head of Market Surveillance and Conduct Department ⭐ Rafael Muruais Garcia, Head of Energy System Needs Department 🤝 They join the 4 existing department heads (Csilla Bartok, Christophe Gence-Creux, Martin Godfried, and Volker Zuleger) and the ACER Director, Christian Pilgaard Zinglersen in driving the work priorities. 🎯 Check out our 2025 work priorities that we are already getting stuck into: https://lnkd.in/ep8vQhyn 👩💼👨💼 Here’s the ACER leadership team 👇