On 25th August, 2021 the representatives of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Estonian Energy Authority (ECA) and the National Energy Regulatory Council (NERC) met in Riga, Latvia to discuss recent developments in Baltic energy markets regulation.
Baltic energy regulatory authorities discussed the latest developments in electricity markets (mainly touching the issues of electricity trading with third countries), issues of establishing Baltic regional coordination centre, and developments of Baltic gas market.
Lithuanian representatives stressed the importance of the common goal – to cease power trading with Belarus where unsafe Astravyets NPP continues to operate, giving priority for electricity trading and generation in internal EU market and maximum utilization of interconnectors with Member States. During the discussion the analysis of the price difference between the Latvian and Lithuanian electricity price zones was presented by the NERC representatives including the information on the planned future steps related with the public consultation announced by the NERC regarding the Methodology on cross-zonal capacity calculation and allocation with third countries that was prepared by the electricity transmission system operator LITGRID AB.
The proposal for the establishment of Baltic regional coordination centre (RCC) was discussed. As the decision has to be reached by the end of 2021, three options were presented for meeting participants and discussed further on with a view to have a joint meeting between Baltic energy regulatory authorities and electricity transmission system operators on the way forward, including on possible referral to the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER).
The representatives of the meeting attached high importance to the future developments of Finnish-Baltic gas market foreseeing benefits for all the consumers in the Baltic countries. It is foreseen to have further discussions between energy regulatory authorities and gas transmission system operators on the inter-TSO compensation mechanism (ITC) application.
This meeting is the continuation of the long-lasting regional cooperation of the Baltic energy regulatory authorities, that regularly meet in Baltic countries to discuss regional energy regulatory issues as well as twice a year to discuss developments in energy markets in Baltic Gas Market forum and Electricity Market forum that is foreseen to take place in Vilnius this autumn.
