Key local energy market players, meeting yesterday with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy Ditte Juul-Joergensen, in Greece to take part in the ongoing Delphi Economic Forum, have called for emergency energy crisis measures implemented in the wholesale and retail electricity markets to be lifted.

The European Commission official informed that the Directorate-General for Energy plans to publish an impact assessment of temporary energy crisis measures adopted throughout the EU by the end of the month.

Juul-Joergensen asked her meeting’s participating energy market officials to name existing problems and challenges resulting from the energy crisis, discuss how these have been countered, and propose two to three energy policy priorities for Greece and the EU over the next few years.

Besides calling for an end to emergency energy crisis measures implemented in electricity markets, or more specifically, a cap on electricity producer earnings, representatives of ESAI, the Hellenic Association of Independent Power Producers, requested the establishment of a new availability market, either for available capacity or available flexibility capacity.

Representatives of ESPEN, the Greek Energy Suppliers Suppliers Association, who also took part in the meeting, noted that temporary energy subsidies provided in Greece have proved effective in protecting consumers from unprecedented electricity price increases, adding, however, that emergency measures implemented in the wholesale and retail markets have greatly impacted competition.

The pros and cons of measures adopted need to be carefully assessed before any extensions are granted, ESPEN officials noted.

The Greek government has submitted a request to Brussels for an extension of emergency energy market measures until the end of the year. The request is being assessed, Juul-Joergensen informed, without specifying when a decision could be reached.