保障电费方案适配未来发展的建议

Recommendationsforfuture-proofingelectricitybills

TariffdesignisimportantforEurope'selectrification,efficientgriduseandawell-functioninginternalelectricitymarket.Aselectrificationaccelerates,gridcapacityconstraintsmustbeaddressedthroughstrongergriddevelopmentandnewtools,ratherthanbecomingthenewnormal.Tariffsmustbealignedwithefficientsystemoperationandinvestments,whileprovidingthestableandpredictablerevenuesneededtoexpandEurope'sgridsandkeepelectricitycostcompetitiveinthelongtermthroughefficiency.Thisalsorequireslookingbeyondnetworkchargesalone,withaffordabilityaddressedacrosstheentireelectricitybill,includingtaxesandothernon-networkcharges.

Atthesametime,harmonisationshouldbepursuedwhereitmakesmostsense.GridsarenotidenticalacrossMemberStatesandvoltagelevels,andtariffsshouldnotbeeither:networktopologies,systemneedsandregulatorycontextsdiffer.Aone-size-fits-allmethodologyrisksfailingtoaccountforthesedifferences.Tariffdesignthereforeneedstoremainsufficientlyflexibletoreflectnationalandpossiblylocalcircumstances,whileprovidingcostreflectivesignalstogridusersandencouragingefficientgriduse.Tariffdesignsshouldavoidbarrierstoanefficientinternalelectricitymarketandnotdistortcompetitiononthewholesaleelectricitymarkets.AconcreteexampleistheplanneddeletionoftheAnnexBoftheInter-TransmissionSystemOperatorCompensation(ITC)regulation.ByharmonizingG-chargesatalowlevel,itsafeguardsaminimumlevelplayingfieldamongmarketpartiesacrossEurope.Itsremovalwithoutalternativecouldputthelevel-playingfieldatrisk.But,itmustbeclearthatremunerationframeworksarenotpartofthetariffmethodologiesandshouldalsoreflectnationalcircumstances,whileensuringpredictabilityandtherightincentivesforthesignificantinvestmentsneededtomoderniseEurope'sgrids.

ThispapersetsoutEurelectric'srecommendationsonkeyprovisionsoftheProposalforfuture-proofingelectricitybills,identifying:

a)elementsthatshouldberetained;

b)provisionsrequiringtargetedamendmentstoensurepredictability,costreflectivesignalstogridusersandinvestmentincentives;

c)safeguardsneededtoavoidadministrativeburdens.

Whattokeep

Tariffprinciples&GridConnections

1.Tariffmethodologyprinciplesprovidingtherightincentivestonetworkusers(Art.18(2)(b,e,g,h,ij,m,n).Why:Itincreasessystem-wideefficiencyandprovidetransparencytowardscustomers.

2.NRAsandnationalgovernmentsshouldprovideaframeworkformeasuresonspeculativerequestsandprioritizationofconnectionbasedonobjective,transparentandnon-discriminatorycriteria.(Art.18d).

Why.CapacityisaneconomicscarcitythatnationalgovernmentsorNRAsshouldgovern,ifnecessary,whileensuringalevel-playingfieldamongallpotentialgridusers.

ElectricityTaxation

3.Excisedutiesappliedtoelectricityarewherenecessaryreducedtobelowerthan,orequalto,thoseappliedtonaturalgas(Art.18c(2)).

Why.Encourageselectrification,boostsdemandfordecarbonisedtechnologiesandreducesEurope'sexposuretoimportedfossilfuels.

Whattochange

1.TariffMethodology

a.RevoketheDelegatedActthatcansetoutharmonizedtariffmethodologiesatdistributionlevel(Art.

61(5a)).

Why:Distributiontariffmethodologiesshouldremainanationalcompetenceastheyneedtoreflectnationalandlocalcircumstances,includingnetworktopology,customerdensity,investmentneedsandregulatoryframeworks.How:ClarifyintheDelegatedempowermentthatdistributiontariffareoutsideofthescope.

b.DifferentiatebetweentariffmethodologyfornetworkusersandrevenueregulationforDSOs(Art.18(1,2).

Why.TariffmethodologyfornetworkusersandrevenueregulationforDSOsaredifferentframeworksfordifferententitieswithdifferentobjectives.Thetextblursdistinction,riskinguneventransposition.

How:Makeacleardistinctionbetweentariffprinciples(Art.18(2)(b,e,g,h,i,j,m,n)andrevenueprinciples

(Art.18(2)(a,c,k).

c.Specialtariffregimesshouldbekepttoaminimum(Art.18(3)).

Why.Specialtariffregimesrisklettingnetworkuserspaytariffsthatdon'treflectcoststheyimposeonthenetworkandshouldn'tsubstituteforunderdevelopmentofmarket-basedgridservices.

How:Specialtariffregimesshouldonlybepermitted,whentariffprinciplesarerespected.

d.RestrictStateAidusageintariffdesigntoonlystrictlynecessary(Art.18(4))

Why:SpecialtariffregimesbasedonStateAidareincontradictionwithcost-reflectiveness,riskscross-subsidizationandmaydistorttheinternalmarket.

How:RestrictStateAidusagetoreducegridtariffsforgriduserstoonlypreventshort-termsurgesingridtariffs(e.g.,duetoCAPEXspikes)forall.

2.Reporting&Benchmarking

e.Avoidduplicationinreportingandprovidearegulatorybenefit(Art.18(5).

Why.Itriskscreatingdisproportionateadministrativeburdenswithoutimprovingregulatoryoutcomes.

How:Onlyintroducenewreportingobligationswhereitprovidesdemonstratedaddedvalue.

f.NRAsshouldretainthediscretiontoapplyDSObenchmarking(Art.18(7)).

Why:NRAsholdtherequiredunderstandingofnationalandlocalcontexttoassessappropriately.

How:DSObenchmarkingshouldremainwithinNRAcompetences,ratherthanEUrequirements.

3.Digitalization

g.Onlypromotenon-wire,smartanddigitalsolutionswheretheyenhancetheefficientuse,capacity,flexibilityorreliabilityofthegrid(Art.18a(1)).

Why:Non-wire,smartanddigitalsolutionscanimprovetheuseofexistinginfrastructure,butcannotsubstituteforstructuralgridreinforcement.

How:ClarifyinArticle18a(1)thatallsolutionsshouldbeconsideredandincentivizedequally.

h.Ensureaclear,voluntaryandproportionateGridDataExchangeframework(Art.18a(4,5)).

Why:Toensuretheframeworksupportsinnovationandefficientgridoperationwithoutcreatingdisproportionateobligations.

How:Definetheobjectiveandsafeguardsfordatasharing.

i.Alignsmartmetertargetswithnationaltrajectoriestopreventsuddencostincrease(Art.18b).

Why:MemberStateswithcurrentlylowratesdon'thavetheresourcestoachievetheproposedtargetsnotonlyintermsofhardware,butalsointermsofhavingsufficientmanpowerfordeploymentandHW/SWcapacityonthebackend.

How:Prioritize'activecustomers',likeRESandhighconsumptiontooptimizeresourceconstraints.

Whattoadd

1.EnsureregulatorypredictabilityforG-chargesatEU-levelwhilemaintainingthepossibilityforMemberStatestoapplynon-zeroG-charges.

Why:AnincreaseinMemberStates'injectionchargesbasedonunharmonizedassumptionswoulddamagethelevelplayingfieldonthecoupledwholesalemarketsa