A conversation with Francesco La Camera, Director General of IRENA.

This online event aims to present the International Renewable Energy Agency’s report “World Energy Transitions Outlook: 1.5°C Pathway” through a conversation with the Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Francesco La Camera.

The World Energy Transitions Outlook (WETO), which was released in June 2021, outlines a pathway for the world to achieve the Paris Agreement goals and halt the pace of climate change by transforming the global energy landscape. The report identifies options to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C and bring CO2 emissions closer to net zero by 2050, offering high-level insights on technology choices, investment needs and the socio-economic contexts of achieving a sustainable, resilient and inclusive energy future.

After a presentation of the report by IRENA, the FSR Energy & Climate team will discuss the findings and insights from different perspectives.

Francesco La Camera is the Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). He has more than 30 years of experience in climate, sustainability, and international cooperation. He formerly served as Director-General of Sustainable Development, Environmental Damage, EU and International Affairs at the Italian Ministry of Environment. La Camera is widely credited with having spearheaded international cooperation on issues related to climate and the environment. He played a key role in bringing together multilateral organisations to develop joint initiatives designed to implement the Paris Agreement and the SDGs. He has also coordinated a number of national strategies, including sustainable development, green finance, and fossil fuel subsidies.

The event will be chaired by Prof. Simone Borghesi.

After the WETO presentation by IRENA, Prof.  Jean-Michel Glachant, Ilaria Conti and Swetha Baghwat will be invited to discuss the report’s findings with Francesco La Camera. This discussion will be followed by a brief Q&A.

Read the report:

World Energy Transitions Outlook: 1.5°C Pathway, IRENA, 2021

Learn more:

Achieving zero emissions under a cap-and-trade system,  FSR Climate & ICAP, 2020

Cost-effective decarbonisation study, FSR. 2021

A Market Framework for Hydrogen | FSR Regulatory Policy Workshop Series 2020-2021

The EU Hydrogen Strategy published by the Commission in July 2020 envisions the establishment of “a liquid and well-functioning hydrogen market”, in which “commodity-based hydrogen trading would facilitate entry of new producers and would be beneficial for deeper integration with other energy carriers”. Such a market “would create viable price signals for investments and operational decisions”.

At the same time, the Strategy set the priority of developing renewable hydrogen, produced using mainly wind and solar energy, stating that “renewable hydrogen is the most compatible option with the EU’s climate neutrality and zero pollution goal in the long term and the most coherent with an integrated energy system”. However, at least in the short and medium term, renewable (green) hydrogen will not be the only hydrogen produced and consumed in Europe.

Different shades of hydrogen contribute differently to the achievement of EU energy and climate objectives. Green hydrogen contributes to the achievement of the renewable energy penetration target. Green, blue and turquoise hydrogen contribute to the decarbonisation target, albeit to different extents, since blue and turquoise hydrogen are not totally carbon free. The fact that different shades of hydrogen contribute differently to the energy and climate objectives, while being traded, as a commodity, on the same market, requires that other mechanisms be put in place to reflect their different policy values. The performance of the different hydrogen shades vis-à-vis the decarbonisation target can be reflected in their production process requiring different quantities of EU Emission Allowances (EUAs) to cover their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In particular, the production of green hydrogen would not require any EUA, while the production of blue or turquoise hydrogen would only require a fraction of the EUAs needed to cover GHG emissions from the production of grey hydrogen.

Instead, at present, there is not an established EU-wide market for the renewable value of green hydrogen. As mentioned above, green hydrogen would have a marginal advantage with respect to blue and turquoise hydrogen in terms of EUAs, but this advantage might not reflect the greater value of green hydrogen as the only one, among all the hydrogen shades, contributing to the renewable energy penetration target. An additional instrument is therefore needed and this could be provided by a system of guarantees of renewable origin (GROs). GROs would be issued against the production of green hydrogen and GRO demand will be created by the need to achieve the renewable energy penetration target (either by a decentralised quota obligations or a centralised auction).
Therefore, the future market framework for hydrogen could comprise three markets:

• The hydrogen (commodity) market;
• The EU Emissions Trading System;
• A GRO system and market, for recognising and trading the renewable value of green hydrogen.

A GRO system could however be extended to cover other energy vectors and to assist, inter alia, in the implementation of the “additionality” condition for the production of green hydrogen. This would require GROs being issued also vis-à-vis the production of electricity from renewable energy sources. And in fact the GRO system could be extended to all three energy vectors – electricity, gas and hydrogen – thus providing any desired degree of flexibility on the way in which the renewable energy penetration target could be achieved.
Finally, in the context of the coupling of the electricity, gas and hydrogen sectors, and the resulting requirement for a strong coordination of the planning and operation of the respective networks, the question should arise as to the best structure for cooperation of transmission system operators, at national and EU level.
The Workshop will aim at exploring the market framework for hydrogen and all these issues. It will be structured in three sessions:

• Session I will focus on the best market framework for hydrogen, in particular how best to recognise the decarbonisation value of green, blue and turquoise hydrogen and the value of green hydrogen in pursuing the renewable energy penetration target. The potential role of a GRO system in this context will also be assessed;
• Session II will consider whether GROs could play a role in the implementation of the additionality condition and, more generally, in providing an accounting framework for the achievement of the renewable energy penetration target, allowing for any desired degree of flexibility on the resulting vector mix;
• Session III will assess how best to ensure the needed coordination of network planning and operation across the electricity, gas and hydrogen sectors, at national and EU level.

Scientific Directors

Alberto Pototschnig | Florence School of Regulation/Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies/European University Institute
Ilaria Conti | Florence School of Regulation/Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies/European University Institute

Please note

This workshop is by invitation only. For further information, please contact: Elena Iorio

Read more

A proposal for a regulatory framework for hydrogen guarantees of origin(FSR Energy | Policy Brief)
How many shades of green? : an FSR proposal for a taxonomy of ‘renewable’ gases (FSR Gas | Policy Brief)
Upgrading guarantees of origin to promote the achievement of the EU renewable energy target at least cost (FSR Gas | Technical Report)

As the energy transition unfolds and the Green Deal initiatives take off, the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union is likely to become increasingly significant – whether by way of their involvement in direct appeals in institutional matters, as well as against Commission competition and state aid decisions – or by way of the ECJ’s rulings on requests for preliminary rulings from national courts.

The cases we will address are:

T-300/19, Achema et Lifosa/Commission

T-9/19, Client Earth/BEI

T-735/18, Aquind/ACER

C-165/19P Slovak Telekom

C-152/19P Deutsche Telekom

Programme

14.00 – 14.05   Introduction

Leigh Hancher, Part-time Professor of Energy Law FSR

14.05 – 14.25   The GC’s rulings in T-300/19, Achema et Lifosa/Commission and in T-9/19, Client Earth/BEI

Leigh Hancher

14.25 – 14.40   The GC’s ruling in T-885/19, Aquind/ACER

Adrien de Hauteclocque, Head of Cabinet of the President of the General Court

14.40 – 15.00   C-165/19P Slovak Telekom and C-152/19P Deutsche Telekom

Matthew Levitt, Partner, Baker Botts LLP, Brussels

15.00 – 15.05   A snapshot of pending cases

Adrien de Hauteclocque

15.00 – 15.30  Questions and Discussion

More on ECJ Case Law

If you want to catch up on earlier CJEU developments in the year, you can watch the recordings of our sessions from November 2020 here and April 2020 here.

Energy Union Law & Policy

FSR Energy Union Law area provides a forum for critical discussion and independent analysis of the developments in EU energy law and policy. Our activities are aimed at professionals from national energy regulatory authorities, European and international institutions, energy-focused law firms, consultancies and energy utility companies.

The European Green Deal puts the EU on a path to climate neutrality by 2050, through the deep decarbonisation of all sectors of the economy, and higher greenhouse gas emissions reductions for 2030. The electricity, buildings and (electro) mobility sector will be essential in this transition. Energy flexible buildings and smart charging of electric vehicles can bring climate neutrality closer to citizens while providing flexibility to the electricity system. Integrating these sectors to deliver on the Green Deal goals will require seamless sharing of data and information and interoperability on various levels.

In this event, we will focus on the interoperability issues and solutions related to smart metering, electro mobility, and buildings, with a view to initiatives planned under the Green Deal.

With academics from the respective sectors, we will discuss questions such as:

• What are the interoperability issues that each sector is facing, and how can they be overcome?
• What solutions should be included in a common cross-sectoral governance framework?

Speakers:

· Doris Österreicher (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna)

· Mart van der Kam (Université de Genève)

· Antonello Monti (RWTH Aachen University)

FSR researcher:

· Valerie Reif

Host:

· Leonardo Meeus (FSR)

#FSRInsights

The series focuses on the insights from the FSR research. These online events will give the FSR researchers the chance to share our research findings and to collect feedback on ongoing research by engaging with the audience and invited experts.

Subscribe to our newsletter to get notified about our upcoming events.

This Online Training focuses on the regulation in the water and sanitation sector.
Each day starts with keynote speakers (from DG Env, Wareg, EurEau, OECD) addressing upcoming challenges and regulatory trends in the water & sanitation sector. Mornings are then dedicated to lectures focusing on regulation purposes, customer engagement and protection, water and wastewater tariff regulation, and output-based regulation (with a focus on incentivising innovation). During afternoons, illustrative case studies are presented and discussed by water practitioners including regulators and operators.

Register by Friday 18 June 2021, 10 am CEST

Draft Programme of the 3 day Online Training

Day 1, Monday 21^st June 2021 | Introduction To Regulation, And Customer Engagement And Protection

9 – 9.30   Ms. Veronica Manfredi, Director, Quality of Life, DG ENV

Introductory words (20’ + 10’ Q&A)

9.30 – 10  Pr Andrea Guerrini, Commissionner of ARERA, Member of WAREG

Keynote speech (20’ + 10’ Q&A) – Water Regulatory Trends to 2030

10 – 12.30  Heather Smith, University of Cranfield

Introduction to WSS Regulation (what, why and how)

• Regulatory frameworks
• Regulatory agencies characteristics and missions

Customer Engagement and Protection

• Customer consultation & engagement
• Definition of customer service standards and requirements
• Resolve disputes between customer and regulated firms

12.30 – 14 Lunch break

14 – 16  Fjola Beqiri, ERRU

Case Study: Albanian Water Regulatory Authority: public hearings and complaints monitoring

• Public hearing session to actively involve customers along the tariff approval process, and ensure service quality
• Internal customer complaints regulation, procedures etc
• Template for monitoring the utility’s performance and transparency toward customer complaints

Day 2, Friday 25^th June 2021 | Water & Wastewater Tariff Regulation: Methodologies And Issues At Stake

9.30 – 10  Bertrand Vallet, Senior Policy Officer – Water Services, EurEau

Keynote speech (20’ + 10’ Q&A) – Water and the EU’s Circular Economy

10 – 12.30 Carlo Cambini, Politecnico di Torino

Tariff regulation: methodologies and issues at stake

• Cost-based regulation
• Incentive regulation
• Regulation and investments
• Yardstick competition
• Financial issue in price control

12.30 – 14 Lunch break

14 – 16 Alberto Asquer, University of London

Case Study: Routemap to delivering a Net Zero Water Sector in the UK

Day 3, Monday 28^th June 2021 | Output-Based Regulation

9.30 – 10  Xavier Leflaive, Principal Administrator, OECD

Keynote speech (20’ + 10’ Q&A) – Financing Water Supply and Sanitation: Challenges in EU Member States and Policy Options

10 – 12.30 Carlo Cambini, Politecnico di Torino

Output-based Regulation

• Additional regulated outputs:
  service quality, innovation, sustainability

Incentivising innovation

• Cross-sectoral experience sharing: example of RIIO1

12.30 – 14 Lunch break

14 – 16  Elena Gallo, Vice-Director, Water services Department, ARERA

Case Study: Italian tariff regulation schemes

• Economic components of the tariff
• Environmental and resource components of the tariff
• Decarbonisation: energy saving in the tariff

Read the speakers’ biographies

Audience

The course is designed for professionals interested in gaining in-depth knowledge over a short period of time including:

• Officials from Regulatory Authorities, and other public bodies
• Operators, Water Companies
• Policy And Decision-Makers
• Academics (Phd Students, Post-Doc)

Certificates

At the end of the course, participants will receive a certificate of attendance.

Course Fees

• EUR 500: General training fee
• EUR 250: Discounted fee for representatives of donors and academics
• 2 free admissions for “Major” donors of the FSR Water & Waste Area
• Group enrolment registration: 10% total discount on the general training fee for the registration of at least five people from the same organisation; please contact Maria.Salvetti@eui.eu

Cancellation Policy

Should you be unable to attend, a substitute delegate is welcome at no extra charge. Information on the substitute delegate should be communicated at least 4 days before the first online class.

No course fee will be applied if written cancellation requests are received at least 2 weeks before the first online class. Full course fees will be applied for cancellation requests received after this deadline.

This Debate will aim at discussing the Commission’s initiatives on Sustainable Finance, Taxonomy, and their potential impact on the energy sector.

With the adoption of the Delegated Act specifying the detailed criteria for Taxonomy qualification, the EU’s Sustainable Finance Initiative is now live. ‘Green’ financial products will be limited to investing in Taxonomy compliant activities, and financial institutions and large EU companies will need to report the percentage of their activities that are taxonomy compliant. Institutional lenders will come under pressure to finance predominantly or exclusively Taxonomy compliant activities, as will investment funds.
Given that energy activities are a central pillar of the Taxonomy list, this will have a huge effect on the industry. Companies that focus on non-Taxonomy activities will find it more difficult to attract finance or need to pay more than their ‘green’ counterparts. Shareholders are likely to insist that management focus on compliant activities.
In addition, the Taxonomy list is likely to have wider importance than ‘just’ sustainable finance. It will become the EU (and possibly global) reference for what are ‘Paris compatible’ activities. This may become the starting point for other legal and regulatory actions; guarantees of origin for hydrogen, support schemes for renewable energy and hydrogen, and the revision of the Energy and Environment State aid guidelines, for example.
Most energy activities are already covered by the Taxonomy Delegated Act, they are in, or out. Understanding this is crucial. In relation to natural gas and nuclear energy, however, the issue remains open, and the Commission has committed to tabling draft measures on this issue in the near future.

This event seeks to examine these issues, considering the scope and application of the Delegated Act and adopted legislation, and discuss the question ‘what should be the position on natural gas and nuclear?’

Draft Programme:

Moderators: Christopher Jones and Andris Piebalgs | FSR

9.30 – 9.45 Introduction to the debate

Andrea Beltramello | European Commission

9.45 – 10.40 Panel debate

Fabio Marchetti | Generali Group

James Watson | Eurogas

Antoine Bizet | EDF

Kavita Ahluwalia | Uniper

10.40 – 10.55 Q&A

10.55 – 11.00 Concluding remarks

Ilaria Conti | FSR

Christopher Jones | FSR

Andris Piebalgs | FSR

#FSRDebates

The focus of this debate series is on policy issues to be discussed by a panel of experts. Learn more about the FSR series.

In this online talk, Trevor Best (Syzygy Plasmonics) and Ronnie Belmans (KU Leuven and EnergyVille) will join Ilaria Conti and Jean-Michel Glachant (FSR) to discuss photocatalysis, a nascent hydrogen production technology, as well as the wider subject of technology neutrality in hydrogen production.

Photocatalysis is a photoreaction (i.e., driven by light) accelerated by the presence of a catalyst. Photocatalysis of water under ultraviolet light in the 1970’s was one of the first examples of clean hydrogen production, however, in the decades that followed steam methane reforming (SMR) emerged as the dominant production source, with electrolysis widely supported as the most viable clean alternative. Nevertheless, in recent years there have been significant leaps forward made in the productive efficiency of photocatalysis, with potential for far lower electricity requirements and lower material resource requirements than electrolysis.

With the EU and other major economies pursuing the development of a clean hydrogen economy as a tool in the decarbonisation of the energy sector, there is a growing need for cost-effective and energy efficient production means. Hydrogen can be produced in several ways, both with fossil fuels, renewable energy, or a combination of the two. However, decarbonised hydrogen in its various forms is currently not cost-competitive with hydrogen derived from fossil fuels in the vast majority of circumstances (see Molecules : indispensable in the decarbonized energy chain). This raises questions about how best to bridge that gap for the decarbonisation of existing hydrogen demand, as well as for other potential applications.

Proponents of photocatalysis and other nascent technologies such as methane pyrolysis or thermochemical water splitting argue that the hydrogen landscape is far from settled and that there will be a requirement for a range of technological solutions.

Topics for discussion will include:

• What is photocatalysis and how does it work?
• The technology readiness level (TRL) of photocatalysis;
• The strengths and weaknesses of photocatalysis versus other clean production methods;
• The role of innovation in the hydrogen space;

Speakers:

Trevor Best | Syzygy Plasmonics

Discussants:

Ronnie Belmans | KU Leuven and EnergyVille

Jean-Michel Glachant and Ilaria Conti | FSR Energy and Climate

Participants are invited to intervene directly in our online Q&A.

Find out more about Syzygy Plasmonics

#FSRTalks 

FSR talks is a series of live interviews with experts from the wider network of the school to showcase and discuss a recent work (a book just published, interesting study, innovative project) in a light and interactive way.

Session: “Environmental integrity: use of offsets”

The second meeting of the Carbon Market Policy Dialogue (CMPD) of the LIFE DICET project will bring together academia, stakeholders and senior policymakers from different carbon markets worldwide in a unique process for a fruitful exchange on carbon market integration.

The project LIFE DICET supports European Union and Member States policymakers in deepening international cooperation for the development and possible integration of carbon markets. At its core, the CMPD aims to facilitate enhanced international cooperation between Emissions Trading Systems regulators, namely the European Commission (DG Climate Action), California-Quebec, China, Switzerland and New Zealand within the framework of the LIFE DICET project.

Scheduled on Friday 9 July from 4.30 PM – 7.00 PM CET, the second session of the CMPD meeting will discuss “Environmental integrity: use of offsets”. Prior to the session, the background “ETSs with different offsets provisions: implications for linking” will be shared with the participants in order to help stir the discussions. The feedback received at this occasion will be used for the preparation of final version of the report after the meeting.

The discussion will be held under Chatham House Rules. Participation at this event is by invitation only, with representatives from the European Commission, other ETS regulators, academics, NGOs, industry, and identified international experts.

Chair

• Simone Borghesi, Florence School of Regulation – Climate

Speakers

• Derik Broekhoff, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
• Axel Michaelowa, University of Zurich
• Suzi Kerr, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
• Jason Gray, California Air Resources Board (CARB)

LIFE DICET is a project co-financed by the EU LIFE Programme of the European Commission.

Session: “Carbon leakage prevention: free allocation and other measures”

The second meeting of the Carbon Market Policy Dialogue (CMPD) of the LIFE DICET project will bring together academia, stakeholders and senior policymakers from different carbon markets worldwide in a unique process for a fruitful exchange on carbon market integration.

The project LIFE DICET supports European Union and Member States policymakers in deepening international cooperation for the development and possible integration of carbon markets. At its core, the CMPD aims to facilitate enhanced international cooperation between Emissions Trading Systems regulators, namely the European Commission (DG Climate Action), California-Quebec, China, Switzerland and New Zealand within the framework of the LIFE DICET project.

Scheduled on Wednesday 9 June from 09.30 AM – 12.00 AM CET, the first session of the CMPD meeting will discuss “Carbon leakage prevention: free allocation and other measures”. Prior to the session, the background report “ETSs with different measures for carbon leakage prevention: implications for linking” will be shared with the participants in order to help stir the discussions. The feedback received at this occasion will be used for the preparation of final version of the report after the meeting.

The discussion will be held under Chatham House Rules. Participation at this event is by invitation only, with representatives from the European Commission, other ETS regulators, academics, NGOs, industry, and identified international experts.

Chair

• Simone Borghesi, Florence School of Regulation – Climate

Speakers

• Antoine Dechezleprêtre Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• Susanne Dröge, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)
• Qian Guoqiang, SinoCarbon Innovation and Investment
• Heiko Kunst, DG Climate Action, European Commission

LIFE DICET is a project co-financed by the EU LIFE Programme of the European Commission.

The Vienna Forum on European Energy Law | Hors Série

The Vienna Forum on European Energy Law is an annual joint initiative of the FSR Energy Union Law Area and the Energy Community Secretariat which aims to bridge the gap in energy debate between the EU and Energy Community.

Solidarity in the European Union’s energy policy – not just a political guideline but a justiciable principle of EU primary law?

This is the position of the CJEU’s Advocate General who delivered his recent Opinion in Case C-848/19 P Germany v Poland concerning the OPAL natural gas pipeline. He advises the Court of Justice to uphold the General Court’s earlier ruling in Case T-883/16 Poland v Commission that energy solidarity is a principle of EU primary law which entails rights and obligations for EU institutions and for the Member States. Although the CJEU may not necessarily follow his advice, this Opinion already raises a number of interesting opportunities for discussion.

Draft Programme

Introduction     Dirk Buschle │ Energy Community Secretariat; College of Europe

Moderator     Leigh Hancher | FSR; Tilburg University; Baker Botts LLP

Setting the Scene

Kim Talus | Universities of Tulane, Eastern Finland and Helsinki

 A Critical appraisal of the AG Opionion

Dr Pawel Pikus │ Director of Electricity & Gas Department in the Ministry of Climate and Environment of the Republic of Poland

Katja Yafimava│ OIES, Oxford

Q & A

Conclusion     Leigh Hancher & Dirk Buschle

Read more

The Future of Energy Solidarity  (FSR Energy Union Law | Opinion)

In this episode of the FSR Insights series, we will discuss the FSR research on Energy Systems Integration.

Watch the recording:

The coordinated planning and operation of the energy system “as a whole”, across multiple energy carriers, infrastructures, and consumption sectors – is the pathway to an effective, affordable and deep decarbonisation of our economies.

Together with the FSR researcher, Golnoush Soroush we will focus on this concept by defining different integration dimensions from technology to regulation, business models, and policy.

From this multidimensional perspective, we will move to identify different barriers to energy systems integration.

Academic discussants: 

• Anne Houtman, SciencesPo, Paris
• Tooraj Jamasb, Copenhagen School of Energy Infrastructure (CSEI)

FSR researcher:

Golnoush Soroush

Host:

Leonardo Meeus (FSR)

This interactive session will include a Q&A and polls for the audience.

The event will be recorded and live-streamed on our social media channels.

#FSRinsights

The series focuses on the insights from the FSR research.  These online events will give the FSR researchers the chance to share our research findings and to collect feedback on ongoing research by engaging with the audience and invited experts.

The Policy Advisory Council discusses the most topical regulatory and policy issues and debates the relevance and robustness of the latest FSR research findings.

The meeting gathers renowned academics, experts from the FSR Energy Major Donors, the European Commission, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), and National Regulatory Authorities.

The event will take place in hybrid form.

Please note this is a closed event and participation is by invitation only.