Europe’s DSOs and TSOs agree to cooperate

The EU DSO Entity and ENTSO-E have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in Europe’s energy transition.

The two organisations respectively representing the region’s distribution and transmission system operators have agreed to work together in several areas, including the development, implementation and monitoring of network codes and guidelines and the promotion of best practices in the operation and planning of transmission and distribution power systems.

“The ambitions to achieve a climate-neutral European society within 2050 require a strong collaboration between all the main stakeholders of the energy ecosystem, such as TSOs and DSOs,” commented EU DSO Entity President, Vincenzo Ranieri.

“The MoU represents a key step in the path of dialogue our associations embraced, to contribute to a flexible, resilient, and open European power system by defining standards and guidelines and nurturing our common knowledge.”

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Hervé Laffaye, ENTSO-E President, added: “Close cooperation between transmission and distribution system operators is essential to enable the energy transition. The MoU sets a clear framework to foster an ambitious cooperation at the European level, necessary to support the European climate objectives.”

Traditionally the need for flexibility has been primarily at the transmission level but with the growth of decentralised generation at the distribution level, local flexibility requirements are emerging, necessitating coordination across the systems by operators.

Similarly, coordination will be needed on network development plans so that these and the R&D requirements and the allocation of any funding are optimised across the transmission and distribution systems.

The first milestone in the cooperation will be a joint submission of the Draft Network Code on Cybersecurity to ACER.

ENTSO-E is well established in Europe’s energy system but the DSO Entity, which was formally set up under EU law in June 2021, is building its voice in the market, with the Cybersecurity Network Code its first industry intervention. In particular, the focus is on the cybersecurity aspects of cross-border electricity flows.

Other topical issues for the DSO Entity includes data interoperability, the digitalisation of systems and the integration of local renewable generation.