Timescales for submission of project information

• Stage 1: from 20/07/2012 to 30/09/2012

Project promoters are invited to submit information on how their projects fulfill the criteria set out in the draft regulation on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure by the 30th of September 2012.

Target group(s)

Project promoters of electricity smart grid projects

1. a proposal for a Regulation on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure [COM/2011/658], and
2. a proposal for a Regulation on the Connecting Europe Facility covering Energy, Transport and Telecommunication infrastructure (2014-2020) [COM/2011/665] 

was published on 19 October 2011 and is currently under discussion in the European Parliament and the Council.
The draft Regulation identifies 12 priority corridors and areas, and defines a procedure and criteria for projects to become a Project of Common Interest (PCI). The Union-wide list of PCIs is proposed to be established for the first time in 2013 and then updated every two years. The identification of PCIs shall be based on a regional approach in line with the identified priority corridors. To this end, ad hoc regional working groups have been established to identify potential PCIs, each covering one priority corridor as set out in Annex I of the draft Regulation. The regional groups are composed of representatives from the competent Member State ministries, national regulatory authorities, transmission system operators (TSOs) and other project promoters, as well as the European Networks of System Transmission Operators for Electricity and Gas (ENTSO-E / ENTSO-G), the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the European Commission (EC).
Each ad hoc working group has been tasked to establish a draft regional list of PCIs by the end 2012. These PCIs will become part of first Union-wide PCI list, provided they fulfil the provisions of the adopted Regulation. The Union-wide list will be adapted, if necessary, in line with modifications to the draft Regulation as of April 2012. This preparatory process in 2012 is based on the engagement of all parties and is necessary to ensure rapid selection of PCIs, once the Regulation has entered in to force, in view of regulatory measures and possible financing as early as 2014.
To be eligible for inclusion in this preparatory process, potential project must first meet the following general criteria:

• compliance with the provisions of the Third Package;
• projects must be necessary for the implementation of the concerned energy infrastructure priority corridor or area;
• they must provide potential benefits outweighing their costs;
• they must involve at least two Member States, either by directly crossing their borders or by having a significant cross-border impact.

If projects comply with the above requirements, project promoters must additionally demonstrate that the projects contribute to the key energy policy objectives of the EU. These are, inter alia, integration and involvement of network users with new technical requirements with regard to their electricity supply and demand; efficiency and interoperability of electricity transmission and distribution in day-to-day network operation; network security, system control and quality of supply; optimised planning of future cost-efficient network investments; market functioning and customer services; involvement of users in management of their energy usage, each to be measured by quantifiable indicators. The requirements can be found in the draft regulation COM(2011)658, §4:1-2. 

This is a request for information about electricity smart grid projects. Project promoters are herein asked to submit information on how their projects fulfill the criteria set out in the draft regulation on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure. The published questionnaires/templates for submission of information on smart grid project proposals are developed and adopted by the Smart Grid Task Force Expert Group 4 on infrastructure (which acts as the ad hoc working group for Smart Grid projects). The projects will be assessed by the Commission with the opinion of the National Regulatory Authorities, and considered by the Smart Grid Task Force Expert Group 4 for establishing a draft regional list of PCIs by end 2012. This preliminary list will then be officially assessed by the Commission and Member States representatives as soon as the regulation enters into force.
This request does not concern any non-smart grid project proposals or other trans-European energy infrastructure priority corridors /thematic areas.
Please note the draft status of the Regulation. Any changes of procedure will be communicated at the earliest opportunity.

Contact details

Responsible service: Directorate General for Energy, Unit B1, Networks and Regional Initiatives
E-mail: ener-b1-smart-grids@ec.europa.eu  
Postal address:
European Commission
DG Energy - ENER.B1
Networks and regional Initiatives
Rue De Mot 24
B-1049 Bruxelles
Belgium