NordREG publishes a report made by PÖYRY on behalf of NordREG. The report contains current Nordic national regulations focused on mapping TSO and DSO roles and responsibilities when it comes to market design to enable energy services in the Nordic electricity markets, with a particular focus on the DSO’s role and unbundling.
The importance of providing customers with energy services will increase in the near future and Nordic retail energy markets need to be designed in a way to enable energy services companies (ESCOs) to enter the market. DSOs and TSOs play an important role for the entrance of the ESCOs to the market, as they provide them with the possibility to manage the customers’ electricity consumption and/or balance. The entrance of the ESCOs can furthermore create situations which are currently unusual in the electricity market.
The report notes that DSOs are responsible for informing customers about energy efficiency measures in Denmark and Sweden, but that it is not specified in the other Nordic countries. The DSOs are also responsible for making consumption data accessible to customers in all countries. In Denmark, Finland and Sweden, DSOs are also responsible for informing customers of the potential use of smart meters.
The report considers unbundling of accounts, legal unbundling, functional unbundling and unbundling of brands. It notes that unbundling rules are similar in the Nordic countries, which have all imposed legal and accounts unbundling. Functional unbundling is required for DSOs with at least 100,000 customers in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden and for DSOs with at least 50,000 customers in Finland.
NordREG believes that the DSOs and TSOs have important roles if to enabling energy services in the Nordic Electricity Market. NordREG notes that the consultant, PÖYRY, has provided useful information on existing national regulatory frameworks even though the scope of the term for energy services used by the consultant may not reflect NordREG’s definition of energy services.