Changes

Category:Heidelberg:REGI

236 bytes added, 15:44, 5 July 2017

no edit summary

{{cquote|Energy as a commons? With paradigms new markets and opportunities arising with digitalising in the energy sector and democratising means of production and distribution, how can regulation be designed in such a way that energy systems these markets are equitable and ensure participation across society?}}

The Committee on Regional development in Heidelberg will focus on the power shift from centralised to decentralised distribution systems. With EU citizens' growing awareness of environmental issues, new technological developments and smart power grids on the horizon, a shift towards a distributed system that includes consumers and turns them into co-producers is a possible future for Europe's energy union. There are many challenges that have to be met before such a transfer can take place: The liberalisation of the energy market is still not fully implemented and few investments are in place to fund distributed systems. Moreover, the data recorded through power grids raises questions concerning data storage and protection and there is currently no strategy on who would regulate a European-wide power grid and how. Finally, many citizens seem to be “energy illiterate”, lacking the necessary knowledge to participate in a new decentralised system. To overcome these obstacles and ensure a bright future for distributed systems in the energy union is what REGI will cover in committee work and resolution.<br />

== The Past: Distributing energy the traditional way ==

== The Present: Obstacles to be addressed ==

=== The economic dimension ===

* most As of now, almost all of the energy distribution is done withing centralised systems ~~still centralised~~* little investments . Investments into the technology of smart ~~grid projects~~* grids have been relatively low and are coming from governmental resources only. Furthermore, the energy market rules ~~need~~ would have to be newly defined* and the roles of Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and Transmission System Operators ~~(TSOs) need to be alternated and defined~~would change fundamentally.<br /> * energy Energy markets are often unpredictable* how can and uncontrollable, which is why the question whether affordable energy prices for consumers can be ~~ensured?~~* assured has been raised. Apart from that, only large infrastructure programmes ~~are~~ have been funded at the moment.

=== The societal dimension ===

* Energy illiteracy: In the current system, the user is a passive consumer, always dependent on utility companies, ignorant of how the energy system works

Michaelernst

57

edits