Laura Otýpková
Lawyer and Head of the Responsible Energy Team
Frank Bold participated in the preparation of a new report examining the changes underway in the European energy sector and the need to modernize electricity grids to accommodate more renewable energy sources with emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
The report, led by Climate Action Network Europe, finds that aging electricity infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe is limiting the integration of renewable power like wind and solar. About a third of Europe’s low voltage grid is over 40 years old and often unable to handle two-way power flows from distributed energy resources. This has resulted in renewable energy projects being denied connection or facing high costs due to grid upgrades.
To fully realize the benefits of the clean energy transition, the report recommends governments prioritize upgrading grids, ensure regulations that allow system operators to procure flexibility services, and empower small renewable projects and energy communities. It also calls for greater regional cooperation on grid planning and cross-border interconnections.
“The study addresses one of the main sore points of the current energy transition in the CEE - the state of our grids - not only describing the current situation, but more importantly offering recommendations on how to improve it. In the Czech Republic improving grid capacity will be especially important as new rules allowing electricity sharing in energy communities take effect in 2024," says Jan Bakule from Frank Bold.
If Central and Eastern European countries act on the report's recommendations, they could accelerate deployment of renewable energy and position themselves as leaders in developing modern, decentralized and climate-friendly power systems. Upgrading electricity networks is essential to cut fossil fuel dependence and meet European Union climate and renewable targets.
You can find the interactive infographic with the report's recommendations here and also read the full report here.
The expert group Frank Bold, along with Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, has submitted a complaint to the European Commission regarding the actions of Czech authorities in setting emission limits for the Počerady coal power plant. In August 2024, a court revoked the plant's extensive emission limits derogation, and authorities were required to immediately reflect this decision in its operating permit. However, this has not yet happened. As a result, the power plant is currently violating the legal limit for mercury emissions. The complainants are calling on the Commission to investigate whether the Czech Republic’s approach to Počerady is in breach of the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).
Domestic political opportunism and foreign anti-competitive pressure threaten to dismantle one of its biggest advantages. Read below a brief summary of our conference on sustainability and competitiveness held last January 2025 in Brussels.
Electricity sharing in Czechia represents a relatively recent but increasingly popular phenomenon. With the implementation of the regulatory framework that enables the formation of Energy Communities (ECs) starting in July 2024, 20 ECs have already been established. In addition, the law also activates the possibility of energy sharing by “an active consumer”. What does the existing regulatory framework entail, and what challenges does it encounter?
