The Regulation of Microgrids in EU Law towards a more Sustainable Energy Mix
As an integral component of the European Green Deal, the European Union has set a target to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, whereby the net emissions of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere must reach zero. In pursuit of this goal, microgrids are increasingly discussed as a building block for a more sustainable future. By enabling energy generation and distribution independent of the main power grid, microgrids have the potential to positively influence the transition towards a sustainable energy mix, particularly when incorporating energy from renewable sources. Given the relatively recent emergence of microgrids in the European Union, their legal framework remains unclear, thereby impeding their integration into the energy market. Consequently, this presentation seeks to address the key question of what microgrids are within the context of EU law, as well as the extent to which the existing legal framework of the European Union creates (un)certainty for both microgrid developers and users. This inquiry will be conducted by evaluating the characteristics of various microgrids currently operational within the European Union and comparing them to already regulated decentralised energy systems that exhibit similar traits to microgrids. This research will contribute to the creation of steppingstones towards a possible legal framework concerning the use of microgrids in the European Union.
Key Learning Points:
- What microgrids are from a legal perspective
- How the legal framework can support the development of microgrids in the European Union
- Legal barriers that currently hinder the development of microgrids in the European Union
Jamie Behrendt LLM
PhD Researcher Groningen Centre of Energy Law and Sustainability
University of Groningen
Jamie Behrendt commenced her work as a PhD researcher at the University of Groningen in August 2021. Within the PhD, she empirically assesses how micro electricity grids should be regulated in the European Union in a way that maximizes legal certainty in the electricity sector to make an effective and efficient contribution to the energy transition. Prior to the start of the PhD, she researched and published on the topic of microgrids during the completion of the LLM Energy and Climate Law as well as the LLM Rechtswetenschappelijk Onderzoek at the RUG. During the Master, she was involved as a research assistant in the Energy law section, and a teaching assistant in the European law department.
PhD Researcher Groningen Centre of Energy Law and Sustainability
University of Groningen
Jamie Behrendt commenced her work as a PhD researcher at the University of Groningen in August 2021. Within the PhD, she empirically assesses how micro electricity grids should be regulated in the European Union in a way that maximizes legal certainty in the electricity sector to make an effective and efficient contribution to the energy transition. Prior to the start of the PhD, she researched and published on the topic of microgrids during the completion of the LLM Energy and Climate Law as well as the LLM Rechtswetenschappelijk Onderzoek at the RUG. During the Master, she was involved as a research assistant in the Energy law section, and a teaching assistant in the European law department.