DESCRIPTION:

The energy transition requires a stable regulatory environment that promotes innovation and investments. The role of energy regulators in retail market monitoring is more important than ever, and the need to strike a balance between investors, state intervention and consumer protection is on the rise. Ensuring good regulatory practices is an important task and should be maintained by a comprehensive strategy. Some elements consist of avoiding external influences from stakeholders. This could be achieved by the regulator’s independence, which should be covered by protecting it from the influence of national and regional governments and industries. In addition, the legislative framework is essential to set the environment in which the regulator is supposed to work. A regulator's duties and powers should help to identify a minimum set of competences defining its specific responsibilities to promote competition and consumer empowerment.

Effective organization of the regulator requires clear decision-making process and actions and an internal operational structure with distinct roles and responsibilities. The regulator should be able to enforce the regulations it passes since enforcement involves ensuring compliance with the rules by market participants and regulators. Lastly, transparency and accountability are cornerstones in the work of the regulators and should be maintained at all times.

KEY QUESTIONS:

1) How can countries enhance the independence of their regulators?

2) And what additional benefits would these actions guarantee if they are implemented properly?

DESCRIPTION:

Universal energy access by 2030 is one of the United Nation's sustainable development goals. 

According to the World Bank, "globally, the number of people without access to electricity declined from 1.2 billion in 2010 to 759 million in 2019, with decentralized electrification solutions gaining relevance through the use of renewable energy."

Increasing attention is being paid to micro-grids as they can be connected to a central grid and use its services. Furthermore, microgrids are seen as a way to help rural communities and developing countries to provide energy access solutions. Moreover, they are more resilient systems as they can be island off from the central grid and be deployed at a several different scales (e.g., from a single building to an entire municipality). 

KEY QUESTIONS:

1) What role will microgrids play in achieving universal energy access?

2) Aside from microgrids, what other viable solutions should be considered to achieve greater access?

3) How close are we to achieving the goal of ennergy access by 2030? And how has the pandemic affected this goal?

4) How will renewables help to accelerate progress towards greater access? What types of regulatory reforms are needed? 

5) In what ways should regulators be pushing utilities? How can we [regulators] encourage market-driven reforms?