Ribera convenes energy sector in private for market reform

The acting Vice President for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, and the Secretary of State for Energy, Sara Aagesen, held a meeting last Monday -which was not included in the official agenda- to address some of the most sensitive points that are occurring in the energy sector and update the different degree of progress in initiatives such as the reform of the wholesale electricity market.

In Ribera's official agency only appeared a meeting to discuss the framework agreement for the just transition of coal mining, but the employers' associations Aelec, AEE, Unef, Appa, Sedigas, AOP, Asealen, Aepibal, Gasnam and Cide were called to the meeting, which means once again that the Government has left out part of the sector's associations.

Throughout this meeting, according to sources consulted by this newspaper, the Government addressed the need for market reform to avoid zero price scenarios or to achieve capacity markets to be able to face the delicate situation in which some gas combined cycle power plants find themselves.

During the Presidency, the Government expects to achieve a general orientation on the Energy Efficiency Directive, to approve the natural gas and hydrogen package before the end of the year, and to make progress on the agreements on the methane regulation.

The level of progress on electricity and gas interconnections and progress on RepowerEU were also reviewed.

The Government was also sensitive to the problem of alleged Chinese dumping in wind energy or the effects of the US Inflation Reduction Act on the sector, as well as the impact of the fall in the price of solar panels.

The sector, for its part, expressed to the Government its concern about the deployment of renewables before 2025 and the possibility of modifying the final milestone due to the impact this could have on the supply chain or the creation of a system to minimize the risk of over-installation.

These requests, in fact, are part of the more than 300 allegations that the Ministry has received on the content of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan in which, as already advanced by this newspaper, the ability to meet the goals of renewable generation facilities, the risk posed by spills or the pace of progress of electrification to increase demand are questioned.

The vice-president also took advantage of the meeting to inform the sector about the event she is preparing with the International Energy Agency for October 2 to try to make progress in the creation of a great alliance to keep the global temperature increase to 1.5º. According to them, a previous meeting with the companies of the sector is being organized for September 29 with the collaboration of the Spanish Energy Club.