The report provides input to a Nordic strategy on how to address consumer flexibility in a cost-efficient manner. The main recommendation is to focus on increased market efficiency in general and not promote specific measures on the demand side unless market failures are identified. Even so, it’s recommended that standard data formats on price signals to small consumers should be further assessed.

An increasing share of intermittent renewable generation and reduced profitability of conventional power generation has led to a growing concern for capacity adequacy in the Nordic electricity market (Nord Pool market area). It does not make sense to assess capacity adequacy for each country separately in the Nord Pool market area as it is highly integrated in terms of both interconnector capacity and market integration. Capacity challenges are rarely isolated to one country or bidding zone. This report analyses what market solutions may be used to manage capacity adequacy in the Nord Pool market area, and how an efficient transition to adequate market solutions could be achieved. The main analysis reveals several measures that would strengthen price formation and cost recovery in the Nord Pool market area, although in general, the market is already highly liquid and well-functioning.

The organisation for the Nordic energy regulators, NordREG, has ordered this study to explore status of demand side flexibility among Nordic distribution system operators (DSOs). Demand side response is a question of mobilising potential flexibility in how and when end users choose to use energy, and how such flexibility can provide value to the network. Network value can be reduced or deferred investments, better system reliability or other system cost reductions. This report addresses concepts for utilising demand response and related regulatory issues. The report also includes an interview study among selected DSOs in the Nordic countries. This addresses current status, how flexibility can be a value for their business, what they see as barriers and planned activities relating to demand response.

Consumer flexibility is often mentioned as a solution that can contribute to improved price formation in spot markets, increase supply of system services and potentially reduce local grid investments and operation costs. This report provides input to a Nordic strategy on how to address the potential need for consumer flexibility in a cost-efficient manner. The main recommendation is to focus on increased market efficiency in general, and not to promote specific measures on the demand side unless market failures are identified. However, it is recommended that standard data formats on price signals to small consumers should be further assessed. The report is part of the Nordic Prime Ministers' overall green growth initiative: "The Nordic Region - leadingin green growth"--Read more in the web magazine "Green Growth the Nordic Way" at www.nordicway.org or at www.norden.org/greengrowth.

Demand side flexibility is the ability of power consumers to reduce their demand in periods of peak load, possibly shifting demand to other periods. The organisation for the Nordic energy regulators, NordREG, has ordered this study to explore demand side flexibility in a Nordic perspective. The study contains a literature survey of demand side flexibility and assess the potential for, and benefit of demand side flexibility. Based on the survey, the report highlights implementation barriers and possible contributions from to reducing these barriers. Existing barriers are e.g lack of ICT, automation services, smart meters and real-time prices. The greatest potential for demand side flexibility in the Nordics is within residential space heating. The value of demand side flexibility is uncertain, but may be 1–2 billion SEK per year.

On 27 October 2015, the Nordic Council of Ministers for Business, Energy and Regional Policy (MR-NER) decided to carry out a strategic review of Nordic co-operation on energy and how it could be developed over the next 5–10 years. The strategic review is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ reform project initiated by its Secretary General, Dagfinn Høybråten. Strategic reviews have previously been conducted on foreign and security policy, health and labour-market co-operation. The remit was to present 10–15 concrete proposals that would further enhance co-operation in areas in which significant positive outcomes have been achieved over the past two decades. The Paris Climate Change Conference of December 2015 and the EU’s goal of working towards a European Energy Union make this review particularly timely. It is also based on the Nordic countries’ own reviews of their national climate and energy policies. The geopolitical landscape is currently in a state of flux – global trade and climate policies are under pressure, and nationalist tendencies are emerging in many countries. This presents many challenges to Nordic energy co-operation, which has achieved ground-breaking results based on cross-border co-operation. Various studies have also shown that the Nordic Region has made similarly dramatic gains in terms of welfare. The time has come to assess how the Nordic countries can build on this success, despite adverse international trends. This review seeks to identify these challenges, present proposals for how the Nordic countries can move forward, and inspire further discussion and debate. On 27 October 2015, the Nordic Council of Ministers for Business, Energy and Regional Policy (MR-NER) decided to carry out a strategic review of Nordic co-operation on energy and how it could be developed over the next 5–10 years. The strategic review is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ reform project initiated by its Secretary General, Dagfinn Høybråten. Strategic reviews have previously been conducted on foreign and security policy, health and labour-market co-operation. The remit was to present 10–15 concrete proposals that would further enhance co-operation in areas in which significant positive outcomes have been achieved over the past two decades. The Paris Climate Change Conference of December 2015 and the EU’s goal of working towards a European Energy Union make this review particularly timely. It is also based on the Nordic countries’ own reviews of their national climate and energy policies. The geopolitical landscape is currently in a state of flux – global trade and climate policies are under pressure, and nationalist tendencies are emerging in many countries. This presents many challenges to Nordic energy co-operation, which has achieved ground-breaking results based on cross-border co-operation. Various studies have also shown that the Nordic Region has made similarly dramatic gains in terms of welfare. The time has come to assess how the Nordic countries can build on this success, despite adverse international trends. This review seeks to identify these challenges, present proposals for how the Nordic countries can move forward, and inspire further discussion and debate. On 27 October 2015, the Nordic Council of Ministers for Business, Energy and Regional Policy (MR-NER) decided to carry out a strategic review of Nordic co-operation on energy and how it could be developed over the next 5–10 years. The strategic review is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ reform project initiated by its Secretary General, Dagfinn Høybråten. Strategic reviews have previously been conducted on foreign and security policy, health and labour-market co-operation. The remit was to present 10–15 concrete proposals that would further enhance co-operation in areas in which significant positive outcomes have been achieved over the past two decades. The Paris Climate Change Conference of December 2015 and the EU’s goal of working towards a European Energy Union make this review particularly timely. It is also based on the Nordic countries’ own reviews of their national climate and energy policies. The geopolitical landscape is currently in a state of flux – global trade and climate policies are under pressure, and nationalist tendencies are emerging in many countries. This presents many challenges to Nordic energy co-operation, which has achieved ground-breaking results based on cross-border co-operation. Various studies have also shown that the Nordic Region has made similarly dramatic gains in terms of welfare. The time has come to assess how the Nordic countries can build on this success, despite adverse international trends. This review seeks to identify these challenges, present proposals for how the Nordic countries can move forward, and inspire further discussion and debate.

Do current electricity market designs ensure a sufficient electricity supply at all times? This topic is currently the subject of intense debate across Europe, and several major countries such as Germany, the UK, France and Italy have decided that additional measures – so-called capacity remuneration mechanisms - are needed to supplement current market designs. This report describes and analyses the advantages and disadvantages of a range of measures proposed or currently implemented across Europe, and includes both best estimates of how the implementation of these measures will impact Nordic electricity prices as well as recommendations to the Nordic countries regarding a cost-efficient path to ensuring the Nordic security of supply.

With twenty-two chapters written by leading international experts, this volume represents the most detailed and comprehensive Handbook on electricity markets ever published.

This book aims to describe the mechanisms of the internal wholesale electricity market in terms of the legal tools and practices used by electricity producers, the most important market participants. In this regard, the focus is on Northwestern Europe. Because of the book’s functional perspective, it is not limited to the external regulation of electricity markets at the EU level and also describes the business models and practices employed by electricity producers. Both the physical and financial marketplaces are examined and topics including electricity supply, balancing, transmission and derivatives are covered. The target for the completion of the EU’s internal electricity market was 2014. The internal wholesale electricity market is very important not only for electricity producers, suppliers and major end consumers but also for network operators, marketplace operators, electricity technology firms, investment firms and market regulators.