Brussels, 11/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has set up a special temporary unit at the European Commission to examine the stability of electricity grids over the summer in the face of potential disturbance due to extreme weather conditions. The decision was taken on Tuesday at an Electricity Cross-Border Committee meeting, a body of representatives of EU member states' energy ministries, national watchdogs and representatives of ETSO, the European Transmissions Systems Operators group (which attended the meeting for this purpose). In a press release, Piebalgs commented: "Information sharing with other grid operators shall be improved - electricity network operators shall receive immediately the information on the action taken by the affected operators, whether network operators or generators. Improved co-ordination shall reduce the risk of blackouts and help to protect European consumers". The Commission is worried that periods of extreme heat (Indian summers) might lead to blackouts (as occurred in Europe in 2003 and 2006). ETSO briefed the Electricity Cross-Border Committee meeting on various scenarios prepared by each of the member states based on extreme weather conditions and was also briefed by the European Regulators' Group for Electricity and Gas (ERGEG) on the November 2006's blackout.
In terms of energy network stability and security, the European Commission's draft third package of legislation for the energy internal market (scheduled for publication in September this year) will include the adoption of binding EU rules on network security under a new EU mechanism; establishing a formal Transmission System Operator body (known as 'ETSO+') to ensure better coordination among the companies to, in turn, ensure better management of the European grid in real time, and move towards regional level grid management; and the implementation of the priority interconnection plan unveiled by the European Commission in January 2007 to stimulate investment and updating of the European grid. (eh)