ELAWNET

Research network for Energy Law in the light of the green transition towards net zero emissions

Icons energy sources

About the project

The ELAWNET project deals with research network activities on the law of electricity market design and just energy transition under net zero goals. It is led by the Department of Energy and Resources Law at the University of Oslo, in collaboration with the Research Group in Natural Resources Law. It involves Norwegian and international legal scholars specialised in the field of energy law and includes multidisciplinary research.

Objectives

Since the 2021–2022 Winter and the weaponisation of gas supply to Europe by Russia in the war in Ukraine, the combined effects of the energy price and energy supply crisis have been a priority for all governments and regulators. In 2022, European governments adopted a series of short-term and mid-term emergency measures. In the next phase starting in 2023, legislative and regulatory proposals for more structural reforms start to be advanced. The ELAWNET project aims to inform these discussions by providing new knowledge based on network activities, across jurisdictions (in Europe, United States and Asia) and disciplines (law, political sciences and economics). The network activities consist of workshops, guest lectures, short study visits and conferences. In addition, the project offers a PhD school to support early career researchers in energy law. Research results are disseminated through online media and publications.

The ELAWNET project is motivated by the regulatory changes that are necessary to accompany the green transitions towards net zero emissions energy systems. It addresses a central topic for the development of the society and for our regulatory models, in relation to regulatory models for electricity markets and implementation of energy transition law and policy.

The project aims to develop new knowledge supported by dissemination activities, and in doing so contribute to the current debate on the two central topics of electricity market reform and just energy transition, organised as two work packages (see below).

The project also aims to stimulate early-stage PhD candidates working in the field and provide them with an arena for discussion with a dedicated PhD school.

Outcomes

The ELAWNET network plans for four annual conferences in 2024–2027 and two 1-day PhD schools adjacent to the conferences in 2024 and 2026 (events in left-hand menu).

Other network activities include research visits, (online) seminars and collaboration on joint publications and research proposals to be submitted to national and international funding agencies.

Background

The project is led by the Department of Energy and Resources Law together with the Research Group in Natural Resources Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo. It will involve leading researchers in other jurisdictions, both in and outside Europe.

Sub-projects

The first work package is dedicated to energy markets regulation and consists in a legal study of the electricity market design rules in the transition towards low carbon energy systems as well as the speeding up permitting procedures for renewables.
The second work package relates to the interlinkage between energy law and just transition and consists in empirical legal studies focusing on the social challenges of implementing energy transition legislation.

Financing

The ELAWNET project receives funding from the Norwegian Country of Research, project number 342241 under the FRIHUMSAM programme.

Cooperation

Under the ELAWNET project, the University of Oslo is collaborating with the following institutions: University of Richmond School of Law (USA), University of Arizona (USA), Tilburg University (the Netherlands), Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (France), National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan), Durham Energy Institute at Durham University (UK), UEF Law School and at the Centre for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law (Finland), Cicero (Norway), NTNU Energy Transition Initiative (Norway), Iberian Centre for Research in Energy Storage (CIIAE) (Spain), Hellenic Energy and Regulation Institute (HERI) (Greece).

Banet, Catherine; Büll, Alberto; Lew, Darryl & Sourgens, Frédéric G. (2023). Electricity Market Design - Global Regulatory Approaches to Facing the Challenges of the Energy Transition, 69th Natural resources and energy law institute. The foundation for natural resources and energy law. ISSN 978-1-943497-57-7. Show summary
Building on current debates and legislative initiatives, this chapter discusses electricity market design in a global and comparative law context. The chapter is structured around 3 questions: 1/ What should electricity market design achieve? 2/ How can regulators design electricity markets to meet these goals? 3/ How can we design markets to ease access of capital to markets needing foreign investment? Relatedly, "how can this design be made to work with investment screening programs to insulate strategic areas of the energy value chain from foreign investment?" The chapter ends with a fourth question: What can we learn from efforts so far? The goal is to provide a road map of how regulators may go about resolving future design problems, while preserving the fundamentals. Energy systems are slow to change, and so market rules. However, the ten months following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces demonstrated that governments and energy market actors, including consumers of all size, can react quickly and adapt behavior. The jurisdictions evaluated in this chapter (EU, United States and Brazil) all showcase the dual nature of electricity market design intended to meet domestic policy goals while also living in a global investment and energy environment.

View all works in Cristin

Banet, Catherine & Gimeno, Carmen (2024). Remuneration of Distribution System Operators: which framework for anticipatory investments. [Internet]. Universitetet i Oslo. Show summary
In the words of Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, "there is no green future for Europe without an upgraded power grid". In order to make our grids fit for purpose adequate revenues for DSOs are needed for investments both in CAPEX and OPEX. Income revenue regulation has to evolve at the same time as system needs and new concepts as "anticipatory investments" should be allowed as the recently agreed Electricity Market Reform states as well as the EU Action Plan on grids. These are the questions this webinar will address
Banet, Catherine; Grjotheim, Sille & Nieuwenhout, Ceciel (2024). Compatibility and interoperability among offshore wind parks and grids: the role of certification and standardisation. [Internet]. Universitetet i Oslo. Show summary
The first Offshore Network Development Plan released by ENTSO-E in January 2024 shows the increasing integration of offshore electricity grids and the role to be played by hybrid offshore wind projects. This raises the question of interoperability and the need for standardisation between assets developed as part of offshore grids. Particularly, the integration of a high number of converters delivered by various manufacturers will raise the question of the compatibility between different technologies. During this webinar, we will discuss existing schemes such as project certification of the complete offshore wind farm, grid readiness, grid code compliance and regulatory and legal tools that can be further developed to ensure interoperability in multi-terminal, multi-vendor, offshore HVDC systems.
Banet, Catherine & Antunes, Nuno (2024). Hydrogen Sales and Purchase Agreement (H2 SPA): Challenges in Contract Standardization. [Internet]. Universitetet i Oslo. Show summary
The discussion surrounding the role of (renewable and/or low-carbon) hydrogen in the energy transition is far from over, opinions ranging virtually from ‘fanciful idea’ to ‘silver-bullet’. Irrespective of the outcome of such discussion, multiple projects are somewhere in design / pre-FEED stage, the issue ‘offtaking / offtaker’ emerging as a critical point. Here, the contract for sale and purchase of hydrogen (and derivatives) has become the centre of attention. The Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN), which holds a proven track record in developing model agreements for the oil and gas industry, launched in 2022 a ‘Hydrogen Taskforce’ to delve into contract standardization in the realm of hydrogen. During this webinar, an account of the work undertaken, next steps and some of the specific challenges encountered were given.
Banet, Catherine & Mauger, Romain (2023). Recent changes to the energy storage regime in EU law. [Internet]. Universitetet i Oslo. Show summary
The fast deployment of energy storage solutions is critical for the energy transition towards renewable energy sources. To do so, a clear and incentivizing legal framework is key. In this webinar, the focus is placed on the legal regime for energy storage at EU level, with particular emphasis on the electricity system. Thanks to the adoption of the 2019 Electricity Market Directive, energy storage is now defined and the basic rules for this activity have been set. Since then, the intensity of law-making in the EU with regards to energy storage has only increased. The electricity market reform, which includes provisions targeting energy storage, is an example. The Battery Regulation, focusing on raw materials for batteries and their recycling, is another. Storage is yet again part of the drafting process for the network code on demand response. During this webinar, Dr. Romain Mauger provides an analysis of these recent and ongoing legal changes, painting a picture of the legal regime for energy storage in the electricity system in the EU.
Banet, Catherine & Jerichau, Kia Marie (2023). The role and regulation of flexibility in balancing a 100% green electricity system. [Internet]. Universitetet i Oslo. Show summary
What challenges and possibilities do we face when moving towards a green energy system? How do we harvest flexibility potentials and ensure transparent and robust market framework for balancing? These are the questions this webinar addresses, looking at practical examples from Denmark.
Jevnaker, Torbjørg (2023). ACER’s role and competences, from Third Energy Package to the Clean Energy Package. The practical example of the adoption and implementation of network codes and guidelines.
Banet, Catherine; Lochet, Antoine & Guðjónsdóttir, Anna Björg (2023). Regulation of geothermal energy and EU/EEA law: overview and perspectives. [Internet]. Universitetet i Oslo. Show summary
Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable and reliable non-intermittent source of energy, which is used mainly for the purposes of power generation, heating and cooling. As such, it has a role to play in the EU/EEA strategy to reduce GHG emissions in the energy sector. However, geothermal projects face certain challenges in their development, and support is needed for the sector to reach its full capacity. In this talk, the speakers present the main regulatory challenges faced by geothermal projects and provide an overview of how geothermal energy is dealt with in EU/EEA existing and prospective legislation, including the Renewable Energy directives (RED II and III) and the electricity market design reform proposal.