The CNMC submits the proposed Circular on access and connection of electricity production facilities to a new public consultation process.
- The new consultation takes into account the changes introduced by the approval of Royal Decree Law 23/2020, and some of the allegations received in the previous consultation.
- The Circular will encourage coordination between transmission and distribution system operators and operators of production facilities.
- It will also speed up the processing of permits and make information on available network capacity more transparent.
Madrid, 25 September 2020 – The CNMC has approved the submission to public information of the Circular on access and connection of electricity production facilities, with file number CIR/DE/001/19
An earlier version of this same Circular was the subject of an initial public information procedure in June 2019. At that time, nearly sixty allegations were received from network managers, public administrations, sector associations, developers and companies of various kinds. In response to these allegations, the appropriate amendments were made.
Subsequently, Royal Decree-Law 23/2020 of 23 June was published, approving measures in the field of energy and other areas for economic recovery. This regulation includes criteria for ordering access and connection to the electricity transmission and distribution networks. In addition, the eighth final provision establishes the mandate for the Government and the CNMC to approve, within a maximum period of three months, the regulatory provisions required for the development and implementation of the provisions of Article 33 (access and connection) of Law 24/2013 of 26 December on the Electricity Sector.
It should be added that the approval of the Royal Decree on Access and Connection to the Electricity Transmission and Distribution Networks reflects the exercise of the Government’s powers in the area of access and connection, and therefore the need to coordinate the applicability of this Circular in the area of access and connection with the provisions of the aforementioned Royal Decree has been taken into account.
All of the above has resulted in a significant modification of the aforementioned Circular, making it necessary to submit the new text to an additional public information procedure.
The Circular is based on the principle of the right of access of third parties, in order to prevent discrimination between users and to promote cooperation and coordination between operators and owners of transmission and distribution networks on the one hand and the owners of production facilities on the other.
More agile and transparent processing
It also aims to increase the efficiency of the process of access and connection to the networks, speeding up the processing as much as possible. In this sense, it includes the joint processing of access and connection permits to the networks, taking into account the particularities of the abbreviated procedures, and determines a single point of contact corresponding to the network operator.
In line with the provisions of the aforementioned Royal Decree-Law 23/2020 of 23 June, the Circular incorporates the possibility of hybrid installations evacuating electrical energy using the same connection point and the access capacity already granted, provided this is technically possible. It also specifically provides for cases in which new hybrid installations apply for access and network connection permits.
In addition, in order to maximise transparency in the process and ensure that the information is made public, the Circular establishes that network operators must keep detailed information on the capacities available at the nodes of their networks with a voltage greater than 1 kV accessible on their website and updated on a monthly basis.
Finally, the annexes to the Circular contain a series of technical criteria that have been suitably updated in line with recent technological and regulatory developments. These criteria are those necessary to: i) assess access capacity, ii) assess the viability of connection, iii) determine the influence of the production facility on another network other than the one to which it is connected.
The CNMC continues to process the Circulars and maintains its operational activity through telematic means and the electronic headquarters. All the details here.
Source: https://www.cnmc.es/prensa/consulta-publica-circular00119-20200925
