BETA


2013/2128(INI) Local and regional consequences of the development of smart grids

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead REGI SCHROEDTER Elisabeth (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE) BŘEZINA Jan (icon: PPE PPE), KADENBACH Karin (icon: S&D S&D), NICHOLSON James (icon: ECR ECR)
Committee Opinion ITRE ULVSKOG Marita (icon: S&D S&D) Lambert van NISTELROOIJ (icon: PPE PPE)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54

Events

2014/02/04
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2014/02/04
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 571 votes to 87, with 22 abstentions, a resolution on the local and regional consequences of the development of smart grids.

A number of best practice examples , such as the Burgenland region, the Energy Valley in the Netherlands, the regenerative model region of Harz in Germany, Hostětín in the Czech Republic, the Orkney Micro Renewables project in Scotland, as well as pilot project cities and communities under the Commission’s CONCERTO initiative or the CO-POWER initiative for the efficient use of energy and decentralised energy production show that local communities and citizens can become ‘prosumers’ (producer-consumer).

In the light of these examples, Parliament made the following recommendations:

New opportunities for the regional economy : Members welcomed a paradigm shift for the regions in the way energy is produced and consumed, moving from an inflexible traditional model, which functions on a ‘base load logic’, to variable, decentralised and local production, integrating a high share of small-scale renewable energy with flexible and responsive demand and distributed storage. They recognised that in order to preserve sustainable development and to meet the requirements of future demands, new models of energy production and consumption based on decentralised and local production should be promoted. They stressed the fact that a smart grid is essential for such a paradigm shift and that smart grid implementation should be embedded in a cross-sectoral and comprehensive approach to regional development in order to maximise benefits and market opportunities for the regions as well as to achieve sustainability, growth and innovation.

The resolution underlined the numerous benefits of smart grids in terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions , ensuring the security of supply to households, giving consumers the ability to adapt their consumption in order to benefit from the lowest prices and at the same time save energy, improving energy efficiency, saving electrical power, etc.

The deployment and operation of smart grids, in particular, offer opportunities to disadvantaged regions, including outermost, peripheral and island regions , which can reduce the energy costs that they incur.

Member States and regional and local authorities are called upon to invest as early as possible in local smart grids by thoroughly considering boosting investments using the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), including financial instruments to leverage private investment. The resolution called for a flexible approach at local and regional level to reduce the barriers to combining measures for energy production, storage, including across borders, and efficiency.

Stressing that the deployment of smart grids requires a stable, long-term policy framework, Parliament called on the Commission to propose ambitious strategies , policies and targets for 2030 for energy efficiency and renewable energies as well as for greenhouse gas emissions, in order to give future certainty to investors and interconnected industries and to facilitate a smart energy system.

Smart energy systems : for smart grids to be successfully implemented, a strategy for regions and local communities aimed at ‘smart energy systems’ should be developed. Parliament highlighted that every citizen should have direct access to consumption and production data in order to ensure efficient, safe and secure smart grid operations and urged the Commission to take steps to ensure that electrical appliances are capable of operating automatically in conjunction with smart meters by providing consumers with the most favourable tariffs.

Role of citizens : Parliament emphasised that the success of a smart energy system is often due to local ownership by individual citizens, a cooperative, a local community or a combination of these actors. The importance of informing and educating users to become informed prosumers who are aware of the opportunities offered by these grids, particularly as regards their link to smart meters has been stressed.

The Commission is called upon to remove the barriers and regulatory and legal challenges to local ownership in existing EU legislation , in particular in the state aid rules. Member States are invited to support local energy feed-in possibilities and the sharing of local energy, not only bi-directionally between the grid and the end-user but also cross-border and between end-user units.

The resolution stressed that the implementation of smart energy systems requires transparent procedures at all levels , involving all actors, including citizens, businesses, industry, local authorities, distribution system operators (DSOs), transmission system operators (TSOs), local and regional data protection officials or ombudsmen and the providers of smart grid technologies.

Data protection and privacy : Members emphasised the need for high standards for smart meters in terms of data protection and data privacy.

In order to put in place a framework for successful Smart Energy Systems, Parliament called on the Commission to:

reduce the barriers to investment in smart energy systems, particularly by expanding the exemption within the state aid modernisations (SAM) to allow for public support for all elements of regional and local smart energy systems, including cross-sectoral investments and operations; urges for smart energy systems to be included as a category in the future Commission regulation declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market and adapting the regulations on other block exemption categories which interact with the development of smart energy systems; assess whether it is necessary to bring forward proposals , in line with the third internal energy market package, for the development and promotion of smart grids (these proposals should be integrated into a streamlined regulatory framework in accordance with the principles laid down by the Commission); establish a transnational network for regions with smart energy systems.

Documents
2014/02/04
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2014/02/03
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2014/01/10
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details

The Committee on Regional Development adopted the own-initiative report by Elisabeth SCHROEDTER (Greens/EFA, DE) on the local and regional consequences of the development of smart grids.

The Committee on the Industry, Research and Energy, exercising its prerogatives as an associated committee under Parliament’s Rule 50 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave an opinion on the report.

New opportunities for the regional economy : Members welcomed a paradigm shift for the regions in the way energy is produced and consumed, moving from an inflexible traditional model, which functions on a ‘base load logic’, to variable, decentralised and local production, integrating a high share of small-scale renewable energy with flexible and responsive demand and distributed storage. They recognised that in order to preserve sustainable development and to meet the requirements of future demands, new models of energy production and consumption based on decentralised and local production should be promoted. They stressed the fact that a smart grid is essential for such a paradigm shift and that smart grid implementation should be embedded in a cross-sectoral and comprehensive approach to regional development in order to maximise benefits and market opportunities for the regions as well as to achieve sustainability, growth and innovation.

The report underlined the numerous benefits of smart grids in terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions , ensuring the security of supply to households, giving consumers the ability to adapt their consumption in order to benefit from the lowest prices and at the same time save energy, improving energy efficiency, saving electrical power, etc.

The deployment and operation of smart grids, in particular, offer opportunities to disadvantaged regions, including outermost, peripheral and island regions , which can reduce the energy costs that they incur.

Member States and regional and local authorities are called upon to invest as early as possible in local smart grids by thoroughly considering boosting investments using the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), including financial instruments to leverage private investment. The report called for a flexible approach at local and regional level to reduce the barriers to combining measures for energy production, storage, including across borders, and efficiency.

Stressing that the deployment of smart grids requires a stable, long-term policy framework, Members called on the Commission to propose ambitious strategies , policies and targets for 2030 for energy efficiency and renewable energies as well as for greenhouse gas emissions, in order to give future certainty to investors and interconnected industries and to facilitate a smart energy system.

A more flexible approach in EU regulations and directives on the internal market is called for to reduce barriers to region-specific solutions in terms of energy production, supply and storage.

Smart energy systems : for smart grids to be successfully implemented, a strategy for regions and local communities aimed at ‘smart energy systems’ should be developed. The report noted the role that smart meters have in enabling two-way communication, allowing for accurate billing for consumers and increasing demand-side participation. It highlighted that every citizen should have direct access to consumption and production data in order to ensure efficient, safe and secure smart grid operations and urged the Commission to take steps to ensure that electrical appliances are capable of operating automatically in conjunction with smart meters by providing consumers with the most favourable tariffs.

Role of citizens : the report emphasised that the success of a smart energy system is often due to local ownership by individual citizens, a cooperative, a local community or a combination of these actors. Such ownerships increase the acceptance of investments in all elements of smart energy systems. The importance of informing and educating users to become informed prosumers who are aware of the opportunities offered by these grids, particularly as regards their link to smart meters has been stressed.

The Commission is called upon to remove the barriers and regulatory and legal challenges to local ownership in existing EU legislation , in particular in the state aid rules. Member States are invited to support local energy feed-in possibilities and the sharing of local energy, not only bi-directionally between the grid and the end-user but also cross-border and between end-user units.

The report stressed that the implementation of smart energy systems will significantly change the private and public spheres, as electricity provision will be linked to data collection and communicated in real time. It called, therefore, for transparent procedures at all levels , involving all actors, including citizens, businesses, industry, local authorities, distribution system operators (DSOs), transmission system operators (TSOs), local and regional data protection officials or ombudsmen and the providers of smart grid technologies.

Data protection and privacy : the report emphasised the need for high standards for smart meters in terms of data protection and data privacy .

More specifically, the report called on the Commission to:

reduce the barriers to investment in smart energy systems, particularly by expanding the exemption within the state aid modernisations (SAM) to allow for public support for all elements of regional and local smart energy systems, including cross-sectoral investments and operations; urges for smart energy systems to be included as a category in the future Commission regulation declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market and adapting the regulations on other block exemption categories which interact with the development of smart energy systems; agree upon a unified classification system to determine whether an organisation is to be deemed a transmission operator, a distribution operator or a combined operator; assess whether it is necessary to bring forward proposals, in line with the third internal energy market package, for the development and promotion of smart grids (these proposals should be integrated into a streamlined regulatory framework in accordance with the principles laid down by the Commission); establish a transnational network for regions with smart energy systems.

Documents
2013/12/18
   EP - Vote in committee
2013/12/02
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2013/11/28
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2013/11/08
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2013/07/04
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2013/07/04
   EP - Referral to associated committees announced in Parliament
2013/06/04
   EP - ULVSKOG Marita (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in ITRE
2013/02/19
   EP - SCHROEDTER Elisabeth (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in REGI

Documents

Activities

Votes

A7-0019/2014 - Elisabeth Schroedter - Résolution #

2014/02/04 Outcome: +: 571, -: 87, 0: 22
DE FR IT ES RO SE BE PL BG NL AT HU PT EL SK FI IE HR LT LU DK EE LV SI MT CZ CY ?? GB
Total
94
70
58
50
25
19
22
49
17
23
19
16
16
17
12
11
12
9
9
6
10
6
8
5
5
20
5
1
66
icon: PPE PPE
244

Luxembourg PPE

3

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

Czechia PPE

2
2
icon: S&D S&D
170

Netherlands S&D

3

Finland S&D

2

Ireland S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
78

Austria ALDE

1

Greece ALDE

1

Lithuania ALDE

1

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1
3

Latvia ALDE

For (1)

1

Slovenia ALDE

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
53

Sweden Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

4

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Greece Verts/ALE

1

Finland Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

3
icon: EFD EFD
28

France EFD

Against (1)

1

Belgium EFD

Abstain (1)

1

Bulgaria EFD

Against (1)

1

Netherlands EFD

For (1)

1

Greece EFD

2

Slovakia EFD

For (1)

1

Finland EFD

For (1)

1

Lithuania EFD

2

Denmark EFD

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
32

Spain GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

2

Portugal GUE/NGL

3

Greece GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

3

Ireland GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Latvia GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

GUE/NGL

1

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
27

France NI

2

Italy NI

2

Spain NI

1

Romania NI

2

Belgium NI

Against (1)

1

Bulgaria NI

1
5

Hungary NI

1

Ireland NI

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
48

Italy ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Belgium ECR

Against (1)

1

Hungary ECR

Against (1)

1

Lithuania ECR

Against (1)

1

Latvia ECR

Against (1)

1
AmendmentsDossier
122 2013/2128(INI)
2013/11/05 ITRE 55 amendments...
source: PE-522.897
2013/11/28 REGI 67 amendments...
source: PE-524.656

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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  • date: 2013-12-02T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE516.956&secondRef=02 title: PE516.956 committee: ITRE type: Committee opinion body: EP
events
  • date: 2013-07-04T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2013-07-04T00:00:00 type: Referral to associated committees announced in Parliament body: EP
  • date: 2013-12-18T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2014-01-10T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A7-2014-0019&language=EN title: A7-0019/2014 summary: The Committee on Regional Development adopted the own-initiative report by Elisabeth SCHROEDTER (Greens/EFA, DE) on the local and regional consequences of the development of smart grids. The Committee on the Industry, Research and Energy, exercising its prerogatives as an associated committee under Parliament’s Rule 50 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave an opinion on the report. New opportunities for the regional economy : Members welcomed a paradigm shift for the regions in the way energy is produced and consumed, moving from an inflexible traditional model, which functions on a ‘base load logic’, to variable, decentralised and local production, integrating a high share of small-scale renewable energy with flexible and responsive demand and distributed storage. They recognised that in order to preserve sustainable development and to meet the requirements of future demands, new models of energy production and consumption based on decentralised and local production should be promoted. They stressed the fact that a smart grid is essential for such a paradigm shift and that smart grid implementation should be embedded in a cross-sectoral and comprehensive approach to regional development in order to maximise benefits and market opportunities for the regions as well as to achieve sustainability, growth and innovation. The report underlined the numerous benefits of smart grids in terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions , ensuring the security of supply to households, giving consumers the ability to adapt their consumption in order to benefit from the lowest prices and at the same time save energy, improving energy efficiency, saving electrical power, etc. The deployment and operation of smart grids, in particular, offer opportunities to disadvantaged regions, including outermost, peripheral and island regions , which can reduce the energy costs that they incur. Member States and regional and local authorities are called upon to invest as early as possible in local smart grids by thoroughly considering boosting investments using the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), including financial instruments to leverage private investment. The report called for a flexible approach at local and regional level to reduce the barriers to combining measures for energy production, storage, including across borders, and efficiency. Stressing that the deployment of smart grids requires a stable, long-term policy framework, Members called on the Commission to propose ambitious strategies , policies and targets for 2030 for energy efficiency and renewable energies as well as for greenhouse gas emissions, in order to give future certainty to investors and interconnected industries and to facilitate a smart energy system. A more flexible approach in EU regulations and directives on the internal market is called for to reduce barriers to region-specific solutions in terms of energy production, supply and storage. Smart energy systems : for smart grids to be successfully implemented, a strategy for regions and local communities aimed at ‘smart energy systems’ should be developed. The report noted the role that smart meters have in enabling two-way communication, allowing for accurate billing for consumers and increasing demand-side participation. It highlighted that every citizen should have direct access to consumption and production data in order to ensure efficient, safe and secure smart grid operations and urged the Commission to take steps to ensure that electrical appliances are capable of operating automatically in conjunction with smart meters by providing consumers with the most favourable tariffs. Role of citizens : the report emphasised that the success of a smart energy system is often due to local ownership by individual citizens, a cooperative, a local community or a combination of these actors. Such ownerships increase the acceptance of investments in all elements of smart energy systems. The importance of informing and educating users to become informed prosumers who are aware of the opportunities offered by these grids, particularly as regards their link to smart meters has been stressed. The Commission is called upon to remove the barriers and regulatory and legal challenges to local ownership in existing EU legislation , in particular in the state aid rules. Member States are invited to support local energy feed-in possibilities and the sharing of local energy, not only bi-directionally between the grid and the end-user but also cross-border and between end-user units. The report stressed that the implementation of smart energy systems will significantly change the private and public spheres, as electricity provision will be linked to data collection and communicated in real time. It called, therefore, for transparent procedures at all levels , involving all actors, including citizens, businesses, industry, local authorities, distribution system operators (DSOs), transmission system operators (TSOs), local and regional data protection officials or ombudsmen and the providers of smart grid technologies. Data protection and privacy : the report emphasised the need for high standards for smart meters in terms of data protection and data privacy . More specifically, the report called on the Commission to: reduce the barriers to investment in smart energy systems, particularly by expanding the exemption within the state aid modernisations (SAM) to allow for public support for all elements of regional and local smart energy systems, including cross-sectoral investments and operations; urges for smart energy systems to be included as a category in the future Commission regulation declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market and adapting the regulations on other block exemption categories which interact with the development of smart energy systems; agree upon a unified classification system to determine whether an organisation is to be deemed a transmission operator, a distribution operator or a combined operator; assess whether it is necessary to bring forward proposals, in line with the third internal energy market package, for the development and promotion of smart grids (these proposals should be integrated into a streamlined regulatory framework in accordance with the principles laid down by the Commission); establish a transnational network for regions with smart energy systems.
  • date: 2014-02-03T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20140203&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2014-02-04T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=23945&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2014-02-04T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2014-0065 title: T7-0065/2014 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 571 votes to 87, with 22 abstentions, a resolution on the local and regional consequences of the development of smart grids. A number of best practice examples , such as the Burgenland region, the Energy Valley in the Netherlands, the regenerative model region of Harz in Germany, Hostětín in the Czech Republic, the Orkney Micro Renewables project in Scotland, as well as pilot project cities and communities under the Commission’s CONCERTO initiative or the CO-POWER initiative for the efficient use of energy and decentralised energy production show that local communities and citizens can become ‘prosumers’ (producer-consumer). In the light of these examples, Parliament made the following recommendations: New opportunities for the regional economy : Members welcomed a paradigm shift for the regions in the way energy is produced and consumed, moving from an inflexible traditional model, which functions on a ‘base load logic’, to variable, decentralised and local production, integrating a high share of small-scale renewable energy with flexible and responsive demand and distributed storage. They recognised that in order to preserve sustainable development and to meet the requirements of future demands, new models of energy production and consumption based on decentralised and local production should be promoted. They stressed the fact that a smart grid is essential for such a paradigm shift and that smart grid implementation should be embedded in a cross-sectoral and comprehensive approach to regional development in order to maximise benefits and market opportunities for the regions as well as to achieve sustainability, growth and innovation. The resolution underlined the numerous benefits of smart grids in terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions , ensuring the security of supply to households, giving consumers the ability to adapt their consumption in order to benefit from the lowest prices and at the same time save energy, improving energy efficiency, saving electrical power, etc. The deployment and operation of smart grids, in particular, offer opportunities to disadvantaged regions, including outermost, peripheral and island regions , which can reduce the energy costs that they incur. Member States and regional and local authorities are called upon to invest as early as possible in local smart grids by thoroughly considering boosting investments using the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), including financial instruments to leverage private investment. The resolution called for a flexible approach at local and regional level to reduce the barriers to combining measures for energy production, storage, including across borders, and efficiency. Stressing that the deployment of smart grids requires a stable, long-term policy framework, Parliament called on the Commission to propose ambitious strategies , policies and targets for 2030 for energy efficiency and renewable energies as well as for greenhouse gas emissions, in order to give future certainty to investors and interconnected industries and to facilitate a smart energy system. Smart energy systems : for smart grids to be successfully implemented, a strategy for regions and local communities aimed at ‘smart energy systems’ should be developed. Parliament highlighted that every citizen should have direct access to consumption and production data in order to ensure efficient, safe and secure smart grid operations and urged the Commission to take steps to ensure that electrical appliances are capable of operating automatically in conjunction with smart meters by providing consumers with the most favourable tariffs. Role of citizens : Parliament emphasised that the success of a smart energy system is often due to local ownership by individual citizens, a cooperative, a local community or a combination of these actors. The importance of informing and educating users to become informed prosumers who are aware of the opportunities offered by these grids, particularly as regards their link to smart meters has been stressed. The Commission is called upon to remove the barriers and regulatory and legal challenges to local ownership in existing EU legislation , in particular in the state aid rules. Member States are invited to support local energy feed-in possibilities and the sharing of local energy, not only bi-directionally between the grid and the end-user but also cross-border and between end-user units. The resolution stressed that the implementation of smart energy systems requires transparent procedures at all levels , involving all actors, including citizens, businesses, industry, local authorities, distribution system operators (DSOs), transmission system operators (TSOs), local and regional data protection officials or ombudsmen and the providers of smart grid technologies. Data protection and privacy : Members emphasised the need for high standards for smart meters in terms of data protection and data privacy. In order to put in place a framework for successful Smart Energy Systems, Parliament called on the Commission to: reduce the barriers to investment in smart energy systems, particularly by expanding the exemption within the state aid modernisations (SAM) to allow for public support for all elements of regional and local smart energy systems, including cross-sectoral investments and operations; urges for smart energy systems to be included as a category in the future Commission regulation declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market and adapting the regulations on other block exemption categories which interact with the development of smart energy systems; assess whether it is necessary to bring forward proposals , in line with the third internal energy market package, for the development and promotion of smart grids (these proposals should be integrated into a streamlined regulatory framework in accordance with the principles laid down by the Commission); establish a transnational network for regions with smart energy systems.
  • date: 2014-02-04T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
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  • The European Parliament adopted by 571 votes to 87, with 22 abstentions, a resolution on the local and regional consequences of the development of smart grids.

    A number of best practice examples, such as the Burgenland region, the Energy Valley in the Netherlands, the regenerative model region of Harz in Germany, Hostětín in the Czech Republic, the Orkney Micro Renewables project in Scotland, as well as pilot project cities and communities under the Commission’s CONCERTO initiative or the CO-POWER initiative for the efficient use of energy and decentralised energy production show that local communities and citizens can become ‘prosumers’ (producer-consumer).

    In the light of these examples, Parliament made the following recommendations:

    New opportunities for the regional economy: Members welcomed a paradigm shift for the regions in the way energy is produced and consumed, moving from an inflexible traditional model, which functions on a ‘base load logic’, to variable, decentralised and local production, integrating a high share of small-scale renewable energy with flexible and responsive demand and distributed storage. They recognised that in order to preserve sustainable development and to meet the requirements of future demands, new models of energy production and consumption based on decentralised and local production should be promoted. They stressed the fact that a smart grid is essential for such a paradigm shift and that smart grid implementation should be embedded in a cross-sectoral and comprehensive approach to regional development in order to maximise benefits and market opportunities for the regions as well as to achieve sustainability, growth and innovation.

    The resolution underlined the numerous benefits of smart grids in terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring the security of supply to households, giving consumers the ability to adapt their consumption in order to benefit from the lowest prices and at the same time save energy, improving energy efficiency, saving electrical power, etc.

    The deployment and operation of smart grids, in particular, offer opportunities to disadvantaged regions, including outermost, peripheral and island regions, which can reduce the energy costs that they incur.

    Member States and regional and local authorities are called upon to invest as early as possible in local smart grids by thoroughly considering boosting investments using the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), including financial instruments to leverage private investment. The resolution called for a flexible approach at local and regional level to reduce the barriers to combining measures for energy production, storage, including across borders, and efficiency.

    Stressing that the deployment of smart grids requires a stable, long-term policy framework, Parliament called on the Commission to propose ambitious strategies, policies and targets for 2030 for energy efficiency and renewable energies as well as for greenhouse gas emissions, in order to give future certainty to investors and interconnected industries and to facilitate a smart energy system.

    Smart energy systems: for smart grids to be successfully implemented, a strategy for regions and local communities aimed at ‘smart energy systems’ should be developed. Parliament highlighted that every citizen should have direct access to consumption and production data in order to ensure efficient, safe and secure smart grid operations and urged the Commission to take steps to ensure that electrical appliances are capable of operating automatically in conjunction with smart meters by providing consumers with the most favourable tariffs.

    Role of citizens: Parliament emphasised that the success of a smart energy system is often due to local ownership by individual citizens, a cooperative, a local community or a combination of these actors. The importance of informing and educating users to become informed prosumers who are aware of the opportunities offered by these grids, particularly as regards their link to smart meters has been stressed.

    The Commission is called upon to remove the barriers and regulatory and legal challenges to local ownership in existing EU legislation, in particular in the state aid rules. Member States are invited to support local energy feed-in possibilities and the sharing of local energy, not only bi-directionally between the grid and the end-user but also cross-border and between end-user units.

    The resolution stressed that the implementation of smart energy systems requires transparent procedures at all levels, involving all actors, including citizens, businesses, industry, local authorities, distribution system operators (DSOs), transmission system operators (TSOs), local and regional data protection officials or ombudsmen and the providers of smart grid technologies.

    Data protection and privacy: Members emphasised the need for high standards for smart meters in terms of data protection and data privacy.

    In order to put in place a framework for successful Smart Energy Systems, Parliament called on the Commission to:

    • reduce the barriers to investment in smart energy systems, particularly by expanding the exemption within the state aid modernisations (SAM) to allow for public support for all elements of regional and local smart energy systems, including cross-sectoral investments and operations;
    • urges for smart energy systems to be included as a category in the future Commission regulation declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market and adapting the regulations on other block exemption categories which interact with the development of smart energy systems;
    • assess whether it is necessary to bring forward proposals, in line with the third internal energy market package, for the development and promotion of smart grids (these proposals should be integrated into a streamlined regulatory framework in accordance with the principles laid down by the Commission);
    • establish a transnational network for regions with smart energy systems.
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  • The Committee on Regional Development adopted the own-initiative report by Elisabeth SCHROEDTER (Greens/EFA, DE) on the local and regional consequences of the development of smart grids.

    The Committee on the Industry, Research and Energy, exercising its prerogatives as an associated committee under Parliament’s Rule 50 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave an opinion on the report.

    New opportunities for the regional economy: Members welcomed a paradigm shift for the regions in the way energy is produced and consumed, moving from an inflexible traditional model, which functions on a ‘base load logic’, to variable, decentralised and local production, integrating a high share of small-scale renewable energy with flexible and responsive demand and distributed storage. They recognised that in order to preserve sustainable development and to meet the requirements of future demands, new models of energy production and consumption based on decentralised and local production should be promoted. They stressed the fact that a smart grid is essential for such a paradigm shift and that smart grid implementation should be embedded in a cross-sectoral and comprehensive approach to regional development in order to maximise benefits and market opportunities for the regions as well as to achieve sustainability, growth and innovation.

    The report underlined the numerous benefits of smart grids in terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring the security of supply to households, giving consumers the ability to adapt their consumption in order to benefit from the lowest prices and at the same time save energy, improving energy efficiency, saving electrical power, etc.

    The deployment and operation of smart grids, in particular, offer opportunities to disadvantaged regions, including outermost, peripheral and island regions, which can reduce the energy costs that they incur.

    Member States and regional and local authorities are called upon to invest as early as possible in local smart grids by thoroughly considering boosting investments using the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), including financial instruments to leverage private investment. The report called for a flexible approach at local and regional level to reduce the barriers to combining measures for energy production, storage, including across borders, and efficiency.

    Stressing that the deployment of smart grids requires a stable, long-term policy framework, Members called on the Commission to propose ambitious strategies, policies and targets for 2030 for energy efficiency and renewable energies as well as for greenhouse gas emissions, in order to give future certainty to investors and interconnected industries and to facilitate a smart energy system.

    A more flexible approach in EU regulations and directives on the internal market is called for to reduce barriers to region-specific solutions in terms of energy production, supply and storage.

    Smart energy systems: for smart grids to be successfully implemented, a strategy for regions and local communities aimed at ‘smart energy systems’ should be developed. The report noted the role that smart meters have in enabling two-way communication, allowing for accurate billing for consumers and increasing demand-side participation. It highlighted that every citizen should have direct access to consumption and production data in order to ensure efficient, safe and secure smart grid operations and urged the Commission to take steps to ensure that electrical appliances are capable of operating automatically in conjunction with smart meters by providing consumers with the most favourable tariffs.

    Role of citizens: the report emphasised that the success of a smart energy system is often due to local ownership by individual citizens, a cooperative, a local community or a combination of these actors. Such ownerships increase the acceptance of investments in all elements of smart energy systems. The importance of informing and educating users to become informed prosumers who are aware of the opportunities offered by these grids, particularly as regards their link to smart meters has been stressed.

    The Commission is called upon to remove the barriers and regulatory and legal challenges to local ownership in existing EU legislation, in particular in the state aid rules. Member States are invited to support local energy feed-in possibilities and the sharing of local energy, not only bi-directionally between the grid and the end-user but also cross-border and between end-user units.

    The report stressed that the implementation of smart energy systems will significantly change the private and public spheres, as electricity provision will be linked to data collection and communicated in real time. It called, therefore, for transparent procedures at all levels, involving all actors, including citizens, businesses, industry, local authorities, distribution system operators (DSOs), transmission system operators (TSOs), local and regional data protection officials or ombudsmen and the providers of smart grid technologies.

    Data protection and privacy: the report emphasised the need for high standards for smart meters in terms of data protection and data privacy.

    More specifically, the report called on the Commission to:

    • reduce the barriers to investment in smart energy systems, particularly by expanding the exemption within the state aid modernisations (SAM) to allow for public support for all elements of regional and local smart energy systems, including cross-sectoral investments and operations;
    • urges for smart energy systems to be included as a category in the future Commission regulation declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market and adapting the regulations on other block exemption categories which interact with the development of smart energy systems;
    • agree upon a unified classification system to determine whether an organisation is to be deemed a transmission operator, a distribution operator or a combined operator;
    • assess whether it is necessary to bring forward proposals, in line with the third internal energy market package, for the development and promotion of smart grids (these proposals should be integrated into a streamlined regulatory framework in accordance with the principles laid down by the Commission);
    • establish a transnational network for regions with smart energy systems.
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  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/energy/index_en.htm title: Energy commissioner: OETTINGER Günther
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Local and regional consequences of the development of smart grids
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