EU’s Smart Energy Expert Group formed and is open for members

A call for applications has been issued for the new Smart Energy Expert Group that will assist the European Commission on the digital transformation of the energy system.

The new Group, which was outlined in the digitalisation action plan of October 2022, was formally approved by the Commission on September 18 as a replacement to the Smart Grids Task Force to continue and extend its activities and its pool of expertise.

The role for the Group is to advise the Commission on initiatives and actions to coordinate and accelerate the digital and sustainable transformation of the EU’s energy system.

It should also assist the Commission in the development and deployment of smart energy solutions that support and are strategically aligned with the goals of the twin green and digital transition.

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Working groups

To achieve these objectives, three subgroups are proposed.

The ‘Data for Energy’ (D4E) working group, also detailed in the digitalisation action plan, is intended to focus on providing recommendations and facilitating the exchange of best practices regarding the access to, sharing of, and (re-)use of energy-related data.

The ultimate goal is to support the Commission in laying the groundwork for a common European data space for energy.

The ‘Consumer Empowerment and Protection’ working group is aimed to bolster consumer engagement and empowerment, enabling them to actively participate in the energy market.

The group also will explore ways for consumers to benefit from smart energy services and innovative collective consumption/production models, helping them in energy conservation and bill reduction.

The ‘Cybersecurity’ working group is to provide recommendations and guidance to the Commission on cybersecurity for energy systems, including evaluating the ramifications of new legislative initiatives in the field and exploring how best to address related challenges.

Members

The Smart Energy Expert Group will be co-chaired by representatives of the directorates-general of Energy (DG ENER) and Communications Networks (DG CNECT) and is expected to consist of up to 80 members.

Statutory members are EU member states’ competent authorities invited by the Commission, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG), the DSO Entity, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).

Other members, for which the public call is now open, are anticipated from organisations active in areas related to energy or digitalisation, including associations of energy system operators, energy suppliers and aggregators, energy regulators, telecom operators, energy and digital technology and service providers and manufacturers, financial institutions, standards development organisations and EU consumers associations.

The call for members, who are expected to serve for 5 years, closes on November 6.