THE ROLE OF THE INSTITUTIONAL PLAYERS

1. The Regulatory Authority for Energy

The Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) was established by virtue of article 4 of Law 2773/1999 as an independent public authority entrusted with the monitoring and control of electricity market functioning and the delivery of opinions regarding the observance of the rules of genuine competition and the protection of customers.

In addition, RAE formulates proposals to the Minister of Development with regard to the issue of power generation authorizations and thereafter monitors the implementation progress of the RES projects through quarterly reports and recommends the removal of those investors who exhibit unjustifiable slowness. Also, RAE recommends legislative measures for the further deregulation of the electricity market within which critical RES issues can be addressed (as is the case of hybrid plants). On a more long-term basis, RAE will consider the introduction of green certificates and the establishment of a network of large-scale dispersed energy production.

The evaluation of all applications is performed by RAE assisted in the technical part by the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources on the basis of the criteria laid down in article 9 of the Production Authorization Regulation which was issued according to article 28 of Law 2773/1999 (see also RAE's website http//www.rae.gr).

2. The Transission System Operator

The Transmission System Operator (DESMIE S.A.) according to article 14 of Law 2773/1999 was established by virtue of Presidential Decree 328/2000 "Establishment and statutes of the Societe Anonyme HELLENIC ELECTRIC POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM OPERATOR S.A." (Government Gazette A 268) and its scope is the operation, maintenance and development of the electric power transmission system throughout the whole country, as well as, of its interconnections with other systems, in order to secure Greece's electric power supply in a sufficient, safe, financially effective and reliable way.

DESMIE S.A. assumed the commercial management of the renewable energy plants of the interconnected system in October 2002. Since then, purchase contracts for renewable energy have been signed, concerning plants already operating or bound for commissioning by end of 2003 with a capacity totaling 147 MW.

According to the provisions of article 21 of Law 2773/1999, the PPC S.A. having already been floated by virtue of Presidential Decree 333/2000 "Conversion of the Public Power Corporation (PPC) into a Societe Anonyme and approval of its statutes" (Government Gazette A 278) performs the duties of system operator for the island grids which are not connected to the mainland system.

Under law 3175/2003 the System Operator assumes expanded duties as regulator of the daily electricity market, settles the imbalances, and provides ancillary services and reserve capacity. The System Operator is entrusted with the enforcement of the law's provisions which aim at the development of genuine competition on the basis of a more liberal and flexible daily market. That upgraded role runs in conjunction with the development of an actual daily electricity market which lessens the business risk and ensures the viability of new entrants in the field of small-scale power generation. Further, the System Operator is obliged to ensure a sufficient long-term margin of domestic power generation potential to cope with probable power shortages in the future. For that purpose the purchasers are under obligation to provide sufficient power generation capacity. In addition to its role of ensuring overall system security, the System Operator functions as supplier of "last resort" for any eligible consumer who has left the PPC.

3. The Centre for Renewable Energy Sources

The establishment of the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES) was provided in article 25 of Law 1514/1985 "Promotion of scientific and technological research" (Government Gazette A 13) and was implemented by virtue of Presidential Decree 375/1987 "Establishment of a legal entity under private law with the registered name Centre for Renewable Energy Sources" (Government Gazette A 167). The scope of CRES is the promotion of RES, energy saving and the rational use of energy, as well as any kind of support for activities in those fields. Further, by virtue of article 11 of Law 2702/1999 "Regulation of matters falling under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Development and other provisions" (Government Gazette A 70), CRES operates as the national coordinating centre of all those activities.

CRES has laboratories for certification of RES technologies, carries out studies for the determination of the physical as well as technical and economical potential of RES and participates effectively in the evaluation and monitoring of the investments implemented in the sector, including the energy savings field.

Top of Page