Risk preparedness

Enhancing Member States' cooperation

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​​​​​The Risk Preparedness Regulation introduces important rules for the cooperation between Member States with the aim to prevent, prepare for, and manage electricity crises. It also establishes common provisions for risk assessment, risk preparedness plans, managing electricity crises, evaluation and monitoring.

Each Member State's competent authority must establish a risk-preparedness plan, based on the regional and national electricity crisis scenarios. This plan consists of national, regional and where applicable, bilateral measures planned or taken to prevent, prepare for and mitigate electricity crises.

The Regulation foresees the adoption of two methodologies during the course of 2020:

  • methodology for identifying regional electricity crisis scenarios

  • methodology for short-term and seasonal adequacy assessment.

Methodology for identifying regional electricity crisis scenarios

In the interest of EU electricity security of supply, EU law requires ENTSO-E to identify the most relevant regional electricity crisis scenarios (following a methodology approved by ACER). The methodology is required to consider system adequacy, system security and fuel security. It also must include an analysis of all relevant national and regional circumstances, simulations of simultaneous electricity crisis scenarios, ranking of risks, as well as probability and principles on how to handle sensitive information in a transparent manner.

Following extensive consultation, including a (2019) ENTSO-E public consultation a (2020) ACER public consultation and the consultation with the Electricity Coordination Group, ACER published (6 March 2020) its Decision on the methodology for identifying regional electricity crisis scenarios. Access the methodology​.

On 8 March 2024, ACER issued its Decision on the amendment  to the methodology for identifying regional electricity crisis scenarios. This ACER Decision follows extensive public consultations by ENTSO-E (in Spring and Autumn 2023), by ACER with the Electricity Coordination Group (composed only of the Member States' representatives), NRAs and ENTSO-E. The improved methodology reflects amendments that ACER deems necessary to ENTSO-E’s proposal (submitted on 8 January 2024).

Methodology for short-term and seasonal adequacy assessment

​ENTSO-E must submit to ACER a proposal for a methodology assessing seasonal an​​d short-term adequacy (monthly, week-ahead to at least day-ahead adequacy). The proposal must cover at least the probability of a transmission capacity outage, the probability of an unplanned power plants' outage, severe weather conditions, variable demand, variable generation from renewable sources, as well as the probability of occurrence of a single or simultaneous electricity crises.

Action 1: From July to October 2019, ENTSO-E has conducted a public consultation on its proposal for a methodology for short-term and seasonal adequacy assessment.  

Action 2: On 6 January 2020, ENTSO-E submitted the proposal to ACER. Find out more about the ENTSO-E proposal and the Explanatory document accompanying the document.

Action 3: On 6 January 2020, ACER opened a public consultation for all stakeholders on ENTSO-E proposal.

Action 4: ACER is expected to consult the proposal with the ECG, in its formation composed only of Member States' representatives.

Action 5: Within two months following the receipt of the proposal, ACER is expected to approve or amend it.

Action 6: On 6 March 2020, ACER issued the Decision on the methodology for short-term and seasonal adequacy assessments. Access the methodology​.