1. The New Energy market and the revised Renewable Energy Directive
What's in for cooperatives?
Alexandra SOMBSTHAY
Unité C1 – Renewable Energy Unit
DG ENER, European Commission

2. « « I want to reform and reorganise Europe’s energy policy« 
I want to reform and reorganise
Europe’s energy policy
in a new European Energy Union. « 
Jean-Claude Juncker

3. The Energy Union Where we want to go: What this means:
Secure, sustainable, competitive, affordable energy for every European
What this means:
Energy security, solidarity and trust
A fully integrated internal EU-wide energy market
Energy efficiency as an energy source in its own right
Transition to a low-carbon society
Research, innovation and competiveness
How we want to reach it:

4. Citizens taking ownership of the energy transition
Our vision of an Energy Union
True solidarity and trust; speaking with one voice in global affairs
An integrated, continent-wide energy system
Sustainable, low-carbon and climate-friendly economy
Strong, innovative and competitive European economy
Citizens taking ownership of the energy transition

5. Consumers are central to the Energy Union
"with citizens at its core, where citizens take ownership of the energy transition, benefit from new technologies to reduce their bills, [and] participate actively in the market"

6. Customer satisfaction is below average
Postal services
Electricity
Gas
Mortgages
DG SANCO Consumer Scoreboard 2014

7. The energy landscape has evolved

8. 2030 framework for climate & energy
-20 % Greenhouse Gas Emissions
20% Renewable Energy
20 % Energy Efficiency
10 % Interconnection
2020
 - 40 % Greenhouse Gas Emissions
27 % Renewable Energy
 27%* Energy Efficiency
15 % Interconnection
2030
* To be reviewed by 2020, having in mind an EU level of 30%
New governance system + indicators

9. Creating a conducive environment for renewables
Stable investment framework leading to low-cost financing
Market based support
Synergies with other sectors (HC, T)
Delivering on the Energy Union's ambition of making the EU the world leader in renewable energy requires creating a conducive environment for renewables to attract the required investments

10. In the current framework:
- No EU legal definition on self-consumption
- Best practices were highlighted in the 2014 Communication (next slide)
- Different national legislation that in some cases prohibiting self-consumption or lead to market fragmentation (financial/administrative barriers)

11. A New Deal for Energy Consumers Communication 2015
Consumer empowerment is needed
"Providing consumers with frequent access, including in near real-time, to partially standardised, meaningful, accurate and understandable information on consumption and related costs as well as the types of energy sources"
A New Deal for Energy Consumers Communication 2015

12. The 2030 RES framework Based on full delivery of the 2020 framework
EU-level at least 27 % target
No nationally binding RES targets - but individual MS to contribute
More regional cooperation and coordination

13. Role of the next Renewable Energy Directive
Achieve at least 27% RES at EU level
Further integrate renewable electricity into the market
Decarbonise heating and cooling
Increase renewable energy use in the transport
Empower consumers and remove administrative barriers

14. Selected best practices on self-consumption
Consumers right to renewable energy self-consumption and distributed storage
Preference to be given to direct self-consumption over injection into the grid of non-consumed renewable electricity
Limiting net-metering schemes to phase-in periods and regular review in a transparent and predictably way
Avoidance of retroactive changes to existing self-consumption projects to guarantee investment security.
Giving the right market signals through time-of-use tariffs
Tariff frameworks may be adjusted: result is higher fixed charge but variable charge for fixed cost recovery retained for efficiency reasons
Ensuring predictable conditions by announcing caps of installed capacities after which grid cost exemption are revised.

15. Empowering citizens means…
•Getting informed via smart solutions
•Empowering local communities
•Involving municipalities
•Home-producing energy
•Reinforcing training and information

16. Local acceptance
Nine in ten Europeans (90%) think that it is important for their government to set RES targets (Eurobarometer 409, 2013)
However, lots of opposition at local level :
IN BE (Wall.), 37 projects (215 windmills) opposed in 2014
In DK, more than 200 anti-wind groups
In FR, 1/3 wind project opposed
Entails lenghty procedures, uncertainty, higher costs
Key issues for local communities
lack of access to project ownership or finance
lack of information
lack of participation
Energy communities could bring solutions

17. The role of local communities
Increase local acceptance of RES projects
Contribute to renewable energy targets
Empower consumers
Bring added value to the local economy
Create local employement
Can reduce prices for the end-consumer

18. Concretely, what are the options?

19. The issue of guarantees of origin (GO): Requirements for disclosure of
the sources of electricity will be reviewed
EU instrument for renewable energy mix disclosure to consumers - the guarantee of origin (GO) is part of the Renewables Directive
Use of GOs are not compulsory for energy mix disclosure requirements
Electricity suppliers required to disclose energy mix in energy bills under the Electricity Directive (2009/72/EC)
This legislation is under review at the same time as the renewables legislation

20. Mid-term assessment of the current Renewable Energy Directive
"It is worth investigating the possible extension of the use of GOs to all types of power generation i.e. including electricity from fossil and nuclear generation"
"This would help support the tracking and auditing on non-renewable supplies and underpin the integrity of the supply mix disclosure statements that inform consumer choices concerning these generation types"

21. Good practice ideas for developing the system

22. Energy
Thank you!