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.
People in the Czech Republic have the right to fresh air but this right is being violated and it is necessary to take effective measures. Representatives of the European Commission, Czech government, industry and Non-Governmental Organizations‘ (NGO) all agree on that.
What would happen to Czech power grid in 2030 if all coal power plants were shut down? On 24 May we have publicly presented a study which simulates this scenario. The result is that even without coal-fired generation it is possible to ensure stable electricity supply in the Czech Republic. The scenario includes an increase in renewables to which the current state of the power grid is no obstacle.
Czech Supreme Administrative Court ruled today in favour better protection of human health from air pollution in Brno, a Czech city with 370 thousand inhabitants. The Court revoked the city's Air Quality Management Plan, issued in 2016 by the Czech Ministry of Environment. The reasoning of the ruling has not been made public yet, but the main argument against the plan was that it was not effective enough and would not lead to a swift achievement of the binding air quality standards. A similar ruling was issued in December 2017 with respect to Ostrava and in February 2018 regarding Prague and Usti region.
