Sustainable Energy Law Notebook

Along December 2010 and a few weeks before the official visit of President Hu Jintao to the United States on 19 January , clean energy technologies have been raised several times as a core trade issue between the two countries . The most dramatic event was the complaint made by the U.S. government against China's subsidies to wind energy technologies. The most positive aspects of the bilateral trade negotiations relates to smart grid technologies. Wind Power Equipments: The United States contests the legality of China's subsidies to wind energy technologies under WTO rules On 22 December, the United States came with a new claim against China's subidy policy in favour of its national wind energy industry . The U.S. government accuses China of subsidising manufacturers of wind turbines equipments and related components in a manner that goes against WTO rules . Chinese manufaturers would have benefited from government grants since 2008 under the national Special Fund for Wind ...

The Energy Research Center of The Netherlands ( ECN ) has just published an interesting report mapping the renewable energy projects of 26 Member States of the European Union (EU), based on the National Renewable Energy Action Plans published in June. The study is available HERE . References : ECN , for the European Environment Agency, Renewable Energy Projections as Published in the National Renewable Energy Action Plans of the European Member States , Doc. ECN-E--10-069, 13 December 2010.

The EFTA Surveillance Authority ( ESA ) has adopted today five individual decisions in favour of wind energy power projects in Norway . The state aid element originates from the public support granted to the projects through the national Energy Fund Scheme , managed by Enova . The latter has been first approved by ESA for a period running from 2006 to 2010. Today, the Energy Fund Scheme got also a prolongation period of one year until end of 2011, date of the entry into function of the green certificates scheme (see previous post). The legality of the aids has been assessed on the background of the State Aid Guidelines for Environmental Protection . The beneficiaries are: Kvalheim Kraft DA (8 turbines, NOK 92.8 mill.); Jæren Energi AS (32 turbines, NOK 511 mill.); Nordkraft Vind AS (11 turbines, NOK 200.1 mill.); Nord-Trøndelag Elektrisitetsverk Energi AS (16 turbines, NOK 228 mill.); Norsk Miljø Energi Sør AS (31 turbines, NOK 388 mill.) In the press release, the Authority reports t...

The Norwegian Ministry for Petroleum and Energy has announced today the establishment of an Energy Committee (Energiutvalget) that will prepare a general review of the country's energy policy towards 2030 and 2050 . The committee's work and the related consultations will result in a communication from the government to the Parliament (so-called Melding til Stortinget Meld.St. ). Energy challenges ahead The setting up of the Energy Committee is motivated by a series of challenges as regards the national energy policy, and in particular the balance in the long-term development of the electric and energy system. The development and regulation of the different components of the energy chain will need to be assessed: production, transport capacity with the reinforcement and expansion of the grid, and consumption. This also includes the relation to neighouring countries, the development of EU energy policy having deep impoacts for Norway, and of the international energy markets. Bas...

The European Commission adopted yesterday a proposal for a regulation on market transparency requirements in the wholesale energy markets (so-called regulation on energy market integrity and transparency ). The measures have been announced for a long time (see previous post ). The full text of the proposal is available HERE . A summary of the proposed rules will be posted on this blog in the coming days. References : Press release, European Commission, IP/10/1676 ; MEMO/10/655 , European Commission; Impact Assessment attached to the Proposal for Regulation, SEC(2010) 1510 ; ERGEG and CEER press release commenting the proposal.

The Norwegian Government has just published the law proposal on a green certificates scheme , enabling a common market with Sweden to enter into function on 1 January 2012 . Here is the text of the proposed legislation and some background notes (Norwegian Ministry for Petroleum and Energy).

La Loi No. 2010-1488 du 7 décembre 2010 portant nouvelle organisation du marché de l'électricité en France , dite Loi NOME , a été publiée au JORF de ce 8 décembre 2010. Texte disponible ICI .

The Science, Technology Options Assessment (STOA) Committee of the European Parliament is organising today a debate on the possibility to attain an oil free future . The debate will be structured around lectures given by two Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry, Prof. Paul Crutzen (1995) and Prof. George Olah (1994), as well as Shai Agassi (Better Place). Prof. Crutzen will speak on " Atmospheric chemistry and climate in the anthropocene . " Prof. Olah will address the issue of " Technological carbon cycle based methanol economy for a sustainable future ." S. Agassi will raise the question of " How to run a country without oil ? ." The full session can be watched live through this LINK . A summary of the presentations is available HERE . References : STOA website and Annual Lecture programme .

The 3 of December 2010 has been a fruitful day for EU energy policy. In additional to the Council Energy Meeting, this day has seen the signature in Brussels of the Memorandum of Understanding concerning the North Seas Countries' Offshore Grid Initiative (NSCOGI) . The Initiative was formally launched by 9 EU countries that signed on 7 December 2009 a Political Declaration (Belgium, Denmark, Frane, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom). Norway joined them and signed the same Political Declaration on 2 February 2010. The core objective of the Initiative is to define ' a framework for regional cooperation ' and to ' find common solutions to questions related to current and possible future grid infrastructure developments in the North Seas .' There have been recently many signs reinforcing the Initiative's objective : the Commission's Communication on Energy Infrastructure Priorities for 2020-2030, the EU energy r...

Today, 2 December 2010, enters into force Regulation (EU) No. 994/20 10 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 concerning measures to safeguard security of gas supply and repealing Council Directive 2004/67/EC (OJ L295, 12.11.2010, p.1). Pursuant to its Article 1, the Regulation aims to : safeguard the security of gas supply by ensuring the proper and continuous functioning of the internal market in natural gas, by allowing for exceptional measures to be implemented when the market can no longer deliver the required gas supplies and by providing for a clear definition and attribution of responsibilities among natural gas udnertakings, the Member States and the Union regarding both preventive action and the reaction to concrete disruptions of supply; establish transparent mechanisms for the coordination of planning for, and response to, an emergency at Member States, regional and Union levels . References : MEMO/10/641 , European Commission.

The European Commission will put forward on 8 December a proposal for regulation on energy market integrity and transparency . The purpose of the regulation will be to increase transparency on wholesale energy markets and prevent the occurence of market abuse in the form of insider trading and market manipulation . This will entail the adoption of harmonisation measures in the form of standards and oversight mechanisms . According to the European Commission, the adoption of a new regulation is justified because ' important segments of wholesale energy markets are not covered by clear rules prohibiting market abuse that makes prices higher than they should be .' The Commission takes as overall objective to increase transparency on the wholesale electricity and gas markets for the benefits of competition and of final customers , which will in particular benefit from more transparent retail price fixing mechanisms . This has become a relevant issue for the Commission as markets...

Sont parus au Journal Officiel de ce matin ( JORF No. 274, 26.11.2010 ) les deux décrets portant attribution de compétences en matière d'énergie et d'environnement au sein du nouveau gouvernement Fillon II: Décret No 2010-1443 du 25 novembre 2010 relatif aux attributions du ministère de l'écologie, du développement durable, des transports et du logement ; Décret No 2010-1447 du 25 novembre 2010 relatif aux attributions du ministère de l'économie, des finances et de l'industrie . Le premier décret porte inter alia sur l'attribution du dossier environnement, développement durable et climat, et le second sur celui de l'énergie. Cette nouvelle répartition des compétences note la fin de l'intégration institutionnelle au sein du même ministère des politiques de l'énergie et de l'environnement. Une telle évolution va l'encontre de la tendance observée au cours des dernières années en Europe d'une fusion de ces portefeuilles. Voir anisi la c...

La Commission européenne a rendu publique hier son intention de traduire la France devant la Cour de Justice de l'Union Européenne. La Commission européenne estime que la France n'a pas transposé correctement les dispositions de la Directive 2003/96 EC du Conseil du 27 octobre 2003 restructurant le cadre communautaire de taxation des produits énergétiques et de l'électricité (JO L 283, 31.10.2003, p.51). La Commission avait préalablement envoyé un avis motivé aux autorités nationales le 18 mars 2010 ( IP/10/295 ). Dans son communiqué de presse ( IP/10/1575 ), la Commission fait valoir que: ' La France disposait d'une période transitoire jusqu'au 1er janvier 2009 pour adapter son système de taxation de l'électricté dans le cadre de la directive 2003/96/EC ... Actuellement, le système francais ("taxes locales sur l'électricté") prévoit une différenciation des taxes sur une base locale, ce qui signifie qu'un consommateur qui réside dans une ...

Le projet de loi portant nouvelle organisation du marché de l'électricité en France (dite Loi NOME) a été adoptée hier 24 novembre 2010 par l'Assemblée Nationale en seconde lecture. Le compte-rendu des derniers débats parlementaires au sein de l'Assemblée est accessible ICI .

I dag, 24. november 2010, sendte Olje- og energidepartementet (OED) ut rapporten om Havvind på høring . Rapporten ble offentliggjort tidligere 8. oktober (se tidligere notate). Rapporten gjelder presis et forslag til utredningsområder og dekker flere relaterte spørsmål, blant annet: regulatoriske forhold, teknisk-økonomiske forhold, miljøbeskyttelse, arealbruksinteresser, metode for å velge arealer, og sammenligning med erfaring fra andre land. OED har identifisert 15 potensielle havvind områder lang norsk kysten . Neste etappen blir gjennomføring av strategiske konsekvensutredninger for områdene som blir valgt ut. Frist til å sende kommentarer er 31. januar 2011.

In today's official journal of the European Union (EU) ( OJ L 302 of 18.11.2010, p.1 ), was published Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1031/2010 of 12 November 2010 on the timing, administration and other aspects of auctioning of greenhouse gas emission allowances pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowances trading within the Community. The Regulation provides rules on the design of the auctions under Directive 2003/87/EC(Articles 4-7), auction calendar (Article 8-14), access to auctions (Articles 15-21), appointment of the auction bodies (auctioneer, auction monitor, auction platform) (Articles 22-35), auction market rules (market abuse, payments, transfers, delivery, management of the collateral, fees and costs of auction, market surveillance, transparency and confidentiality (Articles 36-63). Pursuant to its scope of application (Article 2), the Regulation is applicable to the ...

Le Réseau de Transport d'Electricté (RTE) , le gestionnaire du réseau de transport d'électricité en France, a rendu public ce jour la mise en place de nouvelles modalités pour l'instruction des demandes de raccordement d'installations utilisant des énergies renouvelables (ENR) . Cette mesure vise à anticiper l'évolution réglementaire annoncées par le MEEDDM et porte sur le raccordement en un point unique du réseau public de transport de différentes installations de production d'électricité ENR . Des installations de producteurs d'ENR solidairement responsables vis-à-vis de RTE Ces nouvelles modalités sont conditionnées à la signature d'une convention entre producteurs d'ENR raccordement conjointement par laquelle ils s'engagent sur deux points: établir une responsabilité solidaire vis-à-vis de RTE , ce qui entraînera les adaptations contractuelles nécessaires ; désigner un mandataire parmi eux comme représentant unique (le "producteur mand...

Amendments to Regulation (EC) No 715/2009 on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks have been published in today's the Official Journal of the European Union, in the form of a Commission Decision . The Decision amends Chapter 3 of Annex I to the Regulation , by detailing further transparency requirements in the access regime to the transportation system . As its title indicates, Chapter 3 relates precisely to: the definition of the technical information necessary for network users to gain effective access to the system; the definition of all relevant points for transparency requirements; and the information to be published at all relevant points and the time schedule according to which this information shall be published. In short, it details the list of information about systems and services Transmission system operators (TSOs) must provide to those seeking access (points 3.1.2, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4) and the form of the publication (point 3.1.1). Those addi...

The European Commission presented today its new energy strategy towards 2020. More analysis to come on the SEL Notebook shortly. References : Press release, European Commission, IP/10/1492 ; Full text of the new Energy Strategy Towards 2020 available on the DG TREN website .

Following the adoption of Decision C(2010) 7499 (see previous post analysing Commission's Decision), the first call for proposals under the Commission's Decision has been published in today's Official Journal ( OJ c 302, 09.11.2010, p.4 ). The full text of the call is available HERE or on the "NER 300 Website" of the Commission's DG Climate Action at: http://ec.europa.eu/clima/funding/ner300/index_en.htm . Who can submit a proposal - The project sponsor can either be a single project operator or a consortium . Level of support - Under the call, and pursuant to the Commission's Decision, the financing threshold is fixed at 50% of the relevant costs (defined in point 4.5 of the call), except when the project sponsors provides more than 50%, which involves a consequent and proportional reduction of the NER 300 financing. In order to ensure that the requested technologies adn developed and that a certain geographical balance is kept, the total amoun...

Suite au peu de modifications adoptées par la Commission des Affaires Economiques de l' Assemblée Nationale lors de son examen du texte en deuxième lecture le 3 novembre dernier, le projet de loi portant Nouvelle Organisation du marché de l'Electricité (dite Loi NOME) devrait être rapidement adopté . La discussion en séance publique aura lieu le 17 novembre prochain.

The French Energy Regulator ( Commission de Regulation de l'Energie , CRE) has made public today the first pillars of its strategy on smart grids. It intends to coordinate an institutional think tank on smart grids , organise public thematic debates (e.g., on electric vehicles, smart home, economic models for smart grids, supergrids, micro-grids, application to insulary areas), develop its publications , report of the international experiences , and concentrate the future national debates around a website dedicated to the the topic: http://www.smartgrids-cre.fr/ The first public event on smart grid organised by the French regulator was held in January 2010 in the form of a symposium and was followed by the publication also today of a book " L'Electricité du futur: un défi mondial " (Economica, 2010). The press file released today by CRE introduces the main elements of the smart grid concept.

The Government of India organised the Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference (DIREC) 2010 on 27-29 October 2010 . The theme of the conference was 'Up-scaling and Mainstreaming Renewables for Energy Security, Climate Change and Economic Development.' The support organisation for the conference, the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century ( REN 21 ), has just published the outcomes of the conference. The institutional framework of the IRECs - DIREC 2010 is a follow-up event of an initiative created in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. The previous International Renewable Energy Conferences (IRECs) were hold in Washington in 2008 (WIREC), Beijing in 2005 (BIREC) and Bonn in 2004 (Bonn "Renewables2004"). The IRECs are organised around different sessions that refelct the diversity of the participants: ministerial level plenary sessions, interactive ministerial sessions; interactive stakeholder sessions; joint min...

Commission Decision 2010/670/EU of 3 November 2010 has been published in the OJ of 6 November, L 290, p.39. The decision lays down the criteria and measures for the financing of commercial demonstration projects for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and innovative renewable energy technologies (RES) . The adoption of such criteria was a requirement under Article 10a(8) of Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading with the Community (EU ETS Directive), as amended. It also answers the demand made by the European Council of June 2008 to establish a mechanism for the public and private investments in the construction and operation by 2015 of up to 12 CCS demonstration plants . In particular, Commission Decision answers the requirement of Article 10a(8) of Directive 2003/87/EC to adopt rules and criteria for the selection and implementation of the above mentionned projects, based on the revenues of the sale of 300 million allowances from the...

The 4th Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) is going to be held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from 10 to 11 November . The GFMD is "a voluntary, informal, non-binding and government-led process" that is opened to all members and observers of the United Nations (UN) to discuss issues of migration anf development, through a better understading of the challenges faced and the sharing of experiences in order to reach "practical and actional-oriented outcomes." The GFMD has not highly structured functioning rules, but operates on the basis of some Operating Modalities . The theme of the Mexico meeting has been defined as "Partnerships for migration and human development: shared prosperity - shared responsibility." The three Roundtables will focus on: (1) the partnerships for migration and development: partnerships for more regular and protected migration, joint strategies to address irregular migration; (2) human mobility and human development:...

The European Commission made public on 29 September 2010 a document providing guidance on the development of wind energy projects in Natura 2000 protected areas . A summary of the Guidance Document will be shortly posted on the SEL Notebook. References : Guidance Document: Wind energy developments and Natura 2000 ; Press release, European Commission, IP/10/1450 .

The European Commission made public yesterday, 27 October, its decision to approve a EUR150 million aid from the Dutch state in favour of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project located in The Netherlands . The aid will benefit a demonstration project coordinated by a joint venture between E.ON and GDF Suez that plans the construction of a CCS plan in the sea port area of Rotterdam . The plant will capture the carbon dioxide emitted by a coal-fired power plant - Maasvlakte Power Plant 3 - operated by E.ON (a 250 MW equivalent capture plant for an expected annual capture of 1.1 million tons of CO2). The construction of power plant has itself started in 2008 and is planned to reach full operation in 2011/2012. The project forms part of the initiative "Rotterdam Capture Storage and Demonstration Project" (ROAD) , a partnership between E.ON, Electrabel and GDF Suez. The gas captured will then be transported by pipeline for storage in a depleted gas field under the P-18 A...

I published on 14 October in the Oil Gas and Energy Law online Journal (OGEL) a review on a recent book dedicated to the analysis of one of the main support schemes in favour of renewable energy generation, i.e. feed-in tariffs (FITs) . The references of the book reviewed are: Powering the Green Economy - The Feed-in Tariff Handbook , by M. Mendonca, D. Jacobs and B. Sovacool (Earthscan, 2010) .

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is not only investing in renewable energy like offshore wind but also in conventional energy sources for security of supply. The EIB and DONG Energy have signed today a loan agreement of EUR 150 million for a project aimed to pump the Norwegian gas located in the Trym field via the Danish platform Harald . This will allow the development of a field identified for a long time but not yet exploited. The field already received some financing from the EIB in 2009 (see HERE ). The Trym's Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) was approved earlier in March 2010 by the Norwegian authorities. Here are reproduced some parts of the press release: " Trym was first discovered in 1989 but not explored, partly due to low market prices at the time. The field is located in the Sourthern part of the Norwegian North Sea zone near the Danish platform Harald. The project includes well drilling, subsea pipelines and related work worth a total of approximatel...

The EU Commissioner for Energy, Günther Oettinger, exposed the first results of a public consultation on the future EU energy strategy 2011-2020, at the occasion of a stakeholder strategy conference held on 30 September in Brussels. Background for the new EU energy strategy 2011-2020 After the adoption of the first EU Energy Action Plan by the European Council in March 2007 (COM(2007)1), the Commission was asked to prepare a new Action Plan for the period ahead. The Commission answered this demand by opening a public consultation from May to July 2010. The Stock taking document details the background for the new document. The next step will be the adoption of the EU Energy Action Plan 2011-2020 in early 2011 , and the drafting of an Energy Roadmap for 2050 (consultation to start in November). Four guiding principles The Commissioner has identified four guiding principles for the elaboration of the EU energy strategy 2011-2020: Continuation - The new strategy will not be a change bu...