Demand-side flexibility is a strategic answer to the energy crisis: implement the Electricity Market Design now – joint letter
Together with 12 other organisations, ECOS has called on the European Commission to focus on consumers’ flexibility as an available, reliable and immediate response to the emergency situation of rising energy prices and increased EU energy resilience, following Russian attack on Ukraine.
Along with improved energy efficiency, the roll out of renewables and access to competitive electricity supply, priority should be given to:
• Opening all electricity markets and mechanisms to demand-side sectors, including small scale active consumers and prosumers, to allow them to voluntary activate their flexibility potential based on market signals. Already back in 2016 the Commission calculated that improved market conditions to ensure access to all flexibility options, including from the demand-side, would directly translate into a reduction of wholesale electricity supply costs by around €50 billion in the year 2030. With the staggering wholesale prices, we cannot afford to wait any longer to tap into this cost saving potential.
• Fostering automated, digitally enabled price-driven energy savings among consumers. Smart solutions enable the achievement of energy savings in all end-use sectors if consumers receive price signals, without negatively impacting their comfort and productivity. Allowing and expanding regulated tariffs would hinder this development.
• Boosting the market-based procurement of flexibility services via the optimisation of system operators’ investments to develop efficient and flexible grids through more digital tools and real-time data sharing.
Download the document
