Public Intervention in the Energy Transition: A Legal and Economic Perspective on State Aid Policies

This workshop is the first joint initiative of the FSR Energy Law & Policy Area and both the Governance and Regulation Chair and the Chaire European Electricity Markets of Paris-Dauphine Univeristé. The aim of the workshop is to take a legal and economic approach to a range of current issues surrounding the intersection of State aid and energy policy in the Energy Transition. There will be a particular focus on the role of subsidies in a low carbon future, debating whether State aid controls can be deemed an adequate industrial policy tool in the wider move toward decarbonisation, and on the legal and economic issues that arise in the support for centralised versus decentralised forms of energy production.

Context:

EU State aid regulations play a significant role in shaping the internal energy market, defining both the market design and regulations in areas such as the support for clean technologies (renewables, nuclear, energy efficiency, etc.), security of supply (resource adequacy and capacity mechanisms), infrastructures (PCI, etc.) or R&D and innovation. The State aid rules for energy and the environment have evolved over time to streamline a number of processes and to provide more specific guidelines on some of the key issues such as capacity mechanisms.

In the context of the EU Energy Transition, a number of emerging issues will need to be examined. For instance, as a large part of investments and public support for clean technologies is going to be channelled into small-scale decentralised projects, the General Block Exemption approach may need to be revisited. Questions are also likely to emerge regarding the role of the actors in the regulated parts of the value chain, in particular, network operators in the provision of new energy services or data management. A key point remains the treatment of nuclear energy, where any form of support still needs to be referred to the Commission on a case-by-case basis. Capacity mechanisms and the treatment of energy-intensive industries are additional issues.

The workshop will review the different interfaces between State aid policies and the internal energy market from academic research and the experiences of practitioners. As technologies, consumer behaviour, and policy objectives evolve, the conference will debate how competition and State aid policy will need to adapt in order to support the development of an efficient internal energy market.

RECENT TRENDS AND KEY ISSUES FOR STATE AID IN ENERGY MARKETS

Céline Gauer | European Commission 

STATE AID CONTROL, SECURITY OF SUPPLY AND THE ROLE OF CAPACITY MECHANISMS

Fabien Roques | Compass Lexecon and University Paris Dauphine & Guillaume Dezobry | Fidal and University of Amiens

STATE AID CONTROL AND THE ROLE OF NETWORK OPERATORS IN THE CONTEXT OF SMART GRIDS / SMART METERINGS

Olivier Fréget | De Panafieu Advocats

ENERGY POLICY, INDUSTRIAL POLICY AND STATE AID

Pablo Ibanez Colomo | LSE & College of Europe

THE INTERPLAY OF ENERGY POLICY AND INDUSTRIAL POLICY IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION

Patrice Geoffron | University Paris-Dauphine

IT’S ELECTRIFYING! STATE AID AND E-MOBILITY

Vincent Verouden | E.CA Economics

Download the programme 

Please note that the workshop will take place in English.

Co-organisers: