In February 2022 Denmark, Norway and Finland will all have data hubs in place to facilitate wholesale and retail market processes. In Sweden, the work to implement a data hub is currently put on hold with no date for restart scheduled.

Data hubs are currently up and running in Denmark and Norway and under finalisation in Finland, with a scheduled go-live date on 21 February 2022.

There is no estimated go-live date for the Swedish data hub since the necessary legislative package has been further delayed. However, according to the Swedish TSO, Svenska Kraftnät, the project will be restarted as soon as legislation is in place. Depending on when the legislation is enacted, the estimated time to complete the project is 3 to 4 years.

NordREG believes that successful implementation of data hubs and the ability to centralise handling of market processes are key factors for the Nordic retail market to work effectively.

• NordREG Status report on data hubs 2021

NordREG notes that the Danish Utility Regulator, Finnish Energy Authority and Swedish Energy Market Inspectorate will initiate enforcement procedures against Energinet, Fingrid and Svenska kraftnät for non-compliance with an ACER Decision on the establishment of a Nordic balancing capacity market.

Background

On 5 August 2020, ACER adopted four decisions approving methodologies for the establishment of a Nordic balancing capacity market for frequency restoration reserves with automatic activation (aFRR). One of the methodologies (Annex I  to ACER Decision 22/2020) contains an obligation for the TSOs to submit an amendment to the methodology. The Decision is addressed to the CCR Nordic TSOs, i.e. Energinet, Fingrid, and Svenska kraftnät.

The CCR Nordic TSOs have submitted a proposal for regulatory approval in July 2021 as a consequence of the methodology as approved by ACER.

The Nordic NRAs have assessed the proposal and find that the proposal has no legal content. In other words, the proposal does not contain any provision that amends the methodology that ACER approved in its decision.

Therefore, the Nordic NRAs cannot see how the TSOs’ proposal can be approved. Further, it can be argued that the TSOs have not complied with the methodology as approved by ACER.

Under EU law, the CCR Nordic NRAs have the duty to ensure the compliance with ACER decisions addressed to “their TSOs”.

The CCR Nordic NRAs have considered how to ensure such compliance and will take appropriate enforcement steps vis-à-vis their respective TSOs. The aim of these enforcement steps thus is to ensure that the TSOs comply with ACER’s Decision with the shortest delay possible.

The CCR Nordic NRAs will coordinate closely when taking these enforcement steps, involving NVE-RME informally in the process as has been the case in the assessment so far of the proposal submitted by the TSOs in July 2021.

The CCR Nordic NRAs are keeping ACER updated of the enforcements steps taken.

For more information, please contact:

Thomas vom Braucke
Danish Utility Regulator
tvbr@forsyningstilsynet.dk

Jarno Lamponen
Finnish Energy Authority
Jarno.Lamponen@energiavirasto.fi

Tobias Lusth
Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate
tobias.lusth@ei.se

Stian Henriksen
Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority
sthe@nve.no

Unfair business practices and how to monitor price comparison tools were in focus when participants from the Nordic Energy Regulators (NRAs) met to exchange experiences on how to monitor retail markets more effectively.

The Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish NRAs, as well as the Consumer Authorities, all receive many complaints on electricity suppliers that use unfair business practices, such as giving customers misleading information, using dubious sales methods or unreasonable terms. These activities have severe consequences for both individual customers and the overall trust in the market.

At the 4th Annual Monitoring Workshop arranged by NordREG, participants from the Nordic NRAs shared experience from national monitoring cases, compared possible remedial actions and learned from each other´s experiences.

The participants also discussed challenges regarding how to monitor the independent comparison tools that Nordic NRAs operate and/or regulate (in Norway the public independent comparison tool is operated by The Consumer Council).

It is clear that the different comparison tools face similar challenges and that it is valuable to continue to share experience and ideas to be able to provide Nordic customers with high-quality comparison tools.

NordREG will arrange a joint seminar on wholesale and transmission developments. The seminar will be held virtually on 19 November 2021 from 09:30 – 13:00.

The purpose of the seminar is to inform market participants, by providing regulatory input and oversight, in current topics handled by NordREG.

Some of the issues considered are:

• Nordic Flow-Based Capacity Calculation Methodology.
• NordREG position paper on a revision of the so-called CACM Regulation.
• Publication of aggregated bidding curves.
• Current terms and condition under regulatory assessment in the area of system operation.
• Reporting requirement on the establishment of a Regional Coordination Centre for the Nordic System Operation Region.

NordREG aims at having the Nordic transmission system operators as well as market participants and other stakeholders as presenters and panelists at the seminar.

Registration

The meeting will be held as online meeting. Please register your attendance to The Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority (NVE-RME) before 18th November 2021.

• The Registration is closed.
• Agenda 19th November 2021 New! Updated 10th November 2021

We look forward to having an interesting seminar together.

Presentations from the seminar

• NordREG Wholesale and Transmission Task Forces
• Energinet and SvK
• Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate
• Nord Pool EMCO
• EPEX SPOT
• Swedenergy

Concluding Remarks

• Concluding remarks from NordREG Seminar on Wholesale and Transmission Developments held on 19 November 2021

NordREG will arrange a joint seminar on wholesale and transmission developments. The seminar will be held virtually on 19 November 2021 from 09:30 – 13:00.

The purpose of the seminar is to inform market participants, by providing regulatory input and oversight, in current topics handled by NordREG.

Some of the issues considered are:

• Nordic Flow-Based Capacity Calculation Methodology.
• NordREG position paper on a revision of the so-called CACM Regulation.
• Publication of aggregated bidding curves.
• Current terms and condition under regulatory assessment in the area of system operation.
• Reporting requirement on the establishment of a Regional Coordination Centre for the Nordic System Operation Region.

NordREG aims at having the Nordic transmission system operators as well as market participants and other stakeholders as presenters and panelists at the seminar.

We expect to circulate and publish a draft agenda in late October and hope that you will already now save the date.

We look forward to having an interesting seminar together.

The Nordic Energy Regulators, NordREG, has published a position paper on the revision of CACM (CACM 2.0), focusing on the governance of the MCO function and NEMO competition.

NordREG believes that CACM 2.0 must ensure a clear separation between monopolistic tasks assigned to the MCO and commercial activities assigned to the NEMO, that when doing this the operational security of the MCO function should be prioritized but also keeping in mind that new regulatory measures should not exceed what is necessary to achieve the policy objectives.

NordREG also believes that CACM 2.0 should include a plan for the phasing out of monopoly NEMOs and all countries participating in the market coupling need to transit to the competitive NEMO model.

• NordREG position paper on the revision of CACM

The Energy Regulators of the Nordic System Operation Region (Nordic SOR NRAs), i.e. The Danish Utility Regulator, the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate, the Finnish Energy Authority, and the Energy Authority of Åland, have approved a proposal to establish a Regional Coordination Centre for the Nordic Region, with the Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority participating informally in the regulatory approval process.

The proposal for the establishment of the Nordic Regional Coordination Center (the Nordic RCC) was submitted by the Nordic SOR transmission system operators (TSOs) in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Åland, i.e. Energinet, Svenska kraftnät, Fingrid, and Kraftnät Åland along with the Norwegian TSO Statnett pursuant to the Electricity Market Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/943).

The Nordic RCC shall replace the existing Regional Security Coordinator for the Nordic region (the Nordic RSC). The Nordic RSC is currently operated as a joint office between Energinet, Svenska kraftnät, Statnett and Fingrid. The Nordic RCC will be established as a Danish public limited liability company, which will be equally owned by Svenska kraftnät, Energinet, Fingrid and Statnett. Given the small impact of Kraftnät Åland and given that Kraftnät Åland will not need the same level of services from the Nordic RCC as the other Nordic TSOs, Kraftnät Åland will not own shares in the Nordic RCC but will participate in the Nordic RCC through contractual agreements with the Nordic TSOs and with the Nordic RCC.

It follows from the Electricity Market Regulation that the Nordic RCC is to enter into operation by 1 July 2022.

The proposal for the establishment of the Nordic RCC has undergone some amendments prior to its approval. Some of these amendments were needed to ensure compliance with the Electricity Regulation.

The decisions of the Danish Utility Regulator, Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate, and the Finnish Energy Authority can be accessed here:

• DUR decision
• Ei decision
• EV decision

For more information, please contact:

Thomas vom Braucke
Danish Utility Regulator
tvbr@forsyningstilsynet.dk

Mari Salo or Jarno Lamponen
Finnish Energy Authority
Mari.Salo@energiavirasto.fi; Jarno.Lamponen@energiavirasto.fi

Johan Roupe
Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate
johan.roupe@ei.se

Mari Holen Christensen or Helena Mellison Lindstad
Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority
mhc@nve.no; hem@nve.no

Henrik Juslin
Energy Authority of Åland
Henrik.Juslin@regeringen.ax

In the ongoing implementation of the flow based capacity calculation methodology in CCR Nordic, focus is now shifting to the upcoming period of parallel runs, where market participants and TSOs in parallel will be able to observe the similarities and differences between the current market coupling results and the market coupling results, where flow based parameters are used.

NEMOs have previously indicated a need to apply a so called “grace period” between date of actual operation (the trading day) and publication of results from the flow based simulation facility of up to 14 days. Market participants however, have expressed their need for swift feedback of the simulation results to make the best use and facilitate necessary learning from the parallel runs. In this letter to NEMOs and TSOs, NordREG is urging all parties involved to reduce the “grace period” to an absolute minimum.

• NordREG letter to TSOs and NEMOs Call for shortening of the so-called “grace period” for publishing results of parallel runs

Preserve current similarities between Nordic retail markets and explore if data sharing on a Nordic level could promote new business models related to flexibility services. Those are two of recommendations towards regulators in a study performed by Implement Consulting Group on behalf of the Nordic Energy Regulators, NordREG.

The consultant has investigated if a closer integration between Nordic data hubs might deliver benefits for end customers in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

In the consultant’s report, Nordic countries are advised to explore the potential related to new business models such as flexibility services, smart services, sector coupling and similar. As opposed to already established market rules, the rules for implementing markets for micro-flexibility, local distribution tariffs, prosumer incentives, etc. are still being shaped. This creates a window of opportunity for promoting a certain level of Nordic harmonisation and thus fostering a common market for these.

The main challenge is that the four* data hubs have not been designed to be interoperable with each other. The consultant has analysed costs and benefits with different options of interoperability, ranging from a low investment option where aggregated meter data is shared on a common platform to a full market harmonisation which will have a fundamental impact on processes and IT systems for all market participants.

Analysing the current market situation, the consultant found that even though some of the options for interoperability create cost savings in certain parts of the value chain, all solutions have net costs. The main reason for this is that since each of the current Nordic Retail markets already are very competitive, there is no competition issue to solve and hence no potential benefit from interoperability.

However, in the longer perspective, the consultant believes that new business models may benefit from interoperability. For market actors that develop entirely new value-added services, interoperability might allow easier access to a larger market and make the investment in such product innovation more attractive.

The consultant recommends that the Nordic countries preserve the potential related to existing market similarities and promote market harmonization when implementing new market rules. This is particularly relevant for the implementation of the Clean Energy Package which will open up new markets.

Also, assuming that the new business models require data access but not use of data to support automated transactions, the consultant concludes that sharing aggregated data from the national data hubs may be a sufficient interoperability measure to promote new business models. This is the least costly option assessed in the report. It has no cost for suppliers that decide not to apply it and is recommended to be investigated further.

• To the full report Nordic Data Hub Interoperability.

* Those already existing in Denmark and Norway, and the ones planned in Finland and Sweden.

For more information, please contact:

Mattias Johansson
Chair of NordREG Retail Market Working Group
Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate
mattias.johansson@ei.se

Nikolai Aleksander Grønland
The Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority
niag@nve.no

Ann-Kristin Havnegjerde
Danish Utility Regulator
akha@forsyningstilsynet.dk

Jani Kostiainen
Energy Authority
jani.kostiainen@energiavirasto.fi

The Nordic Energy Regulators, i.e. The Danish Utility Regulator, Energimarknadsinspektionen and Energiavirasto, have made national decisions resulting in a postponement of implementing a 15-minutes imbalance settlement period (ISP15).

Decisions have been made after the Nordic TSO’s in Denmark, Sweden and Finland, i.e. Energinet, Svenska Kraftnät and Fingrid, had requested their respective regulators to decide on a postponement of the implementation of ISP15 to replace the current 60-minutes imbalance settlement period.

The regulators have decided to grant national derogations resulting in ISP15 being implemented on May 22^nd 2023.

The requested date for ISP15 was proposed jointly by the Nordic TSOs (including the Norwegian TSO, Statnett).

The Nordic Energy Regulators have concluded in their respective national decisions, that there are conditions for granting a derogation, and that the jointly proposed date for ISP15 with certainty can be implemented timely in each country.

The regulators will closely monitor the joint Nordic progress and the implementation projects in each country, encouraging the Nordic TSOs to update market participants on the ongoing process and finalization hereof.