Long-delayed distribution network code on final stretch

The electricity market’s pending code for the distribution network, whose long delay has been described as “scandalous” by prominent sector figures, is now just about ready and will be presented today at a RAE (Regulatory Authority for Energy) board meeting before hitting the final stretch towards implementation.

“The electricity market’s functioning without a charter for the distribution network since the launch of the market’s liberalization process 15 years ago represents one of the market’s biggest scandals, especially following 2011, when HEDNO (Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator) and main power utility PPC were split,” a key market player told energypress.

The code describes in detail the regulations that HEDNO, locally acronymed DEDDIE, must comply with and also provides conditions regulating the operator’s ties with all other agencies, producers and the public.

Regulations concerning the network’s maintenance and development, client connections to the grid, the operator’s association with electricity suppliers, RES production unit connection methods to the grid and their cost, electricity stealing issues, and supply quality represent just some of the matters included in the distribution code.

The absence of this set of rules, meant to strictly regulate HEDNO, a wholly owned PPC subsidiary, has essentially allowed the operator to function based on its own rules. Not surprisingly, this has caused a number of issues of varying scale. Certain pundits believe that bigger issues, such as the demise of the now-defunct electricity retailers Energa and Hellas Power, whose market entries several years ago ended in financial scandal, may have been partially avoided had a code for the distribution network existed.

The effort to prepare the Greek electricity market’s code for distribution has dragged on for years. A first version had been drafted back in 2004.