What’s on the DSO agenda in Europe in the year ahead

The DSO Entity has released its work plan for 2024 with three major projects highlighted – the integration of gas DSOs, the grid action plan and a technical vision.

While 2024 marks something of a transition in the EU, with European parliamentary elections in June and the ending of the current phase of legislative activities and the restart thereafter of the next phase, the work of organisations such as the DSO Entity remains with action points that have been set out in earlier legislation.

Considering this, the DSO Entity has set out the three major tasks for 2024, alongside the ongoing activities of its expert groups and task forces.

Integration of gas DSOs

The integration of the gas and hydrogen DSOs into the DSO Entity was proposed in the recast regulation on the internal markets for renewable and natural gases and hydrogen in December 2021.

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This integration necessitates a substantial overhaul of the DSO Entity’s current structure and governance and a revision of its statutes and rules in a process that is expected to run to Q1 of 2026.

It will also involve close coordination with existing DSO Entity members and the four European gas associations to ensure a mutually acceptable and welcomed outcome.

Grid action plan

The EC’s Grid Action Plan is central to its development, with at least seven out of the 14 actions assigned to the DSO Entity and most in cooperation with ENTSO-E and/or the EC and ACER.

While most of the tasks are being integrated into the work programmes of the expert groups and task forces, the establishment of new groups to cover certain aspects might be considered, especially in the areas of investments, remuneration and finance.

In addition, common working structures and groups will have to be set up between the DSO Entity and ENTSO-E.

The Grid Action Plan’s timeframe is 18 months, so all deliverables have to be accomplished by mid-2025 at the latest, although many will be earlier throughout 2024.

Technical vision

The development of a ‘technical vision’ describing the characteristics of the future energy system from a DSO perspective is proposed to raise awareness for the key role of DSOs in the energy transition but ultimately to provide recommendations from a technical perspective.

Together with the DSO Entity’s members, the intention is to bring together all its expertise in relevant areas, such as future system operation, flexibility and digitalisation, data management and interoperability, network planning and investments as well as resilience, cyber-aspects and emergency management.

Delivery is foreseen for late autumn 2024 so that the key findings and recommendations can start to be disseminated right at the beginning of the EU’s new legislative term following the June elections.

The DSO Entity currently has expert groups on cybersecurity, distributed flexibility, data interoperability and network codes and task forces on the digitalisation of the energy system and the ten-year network development plan.

In addition, with ENTSO-E a joint task force on the digital twin and smart grid indicators has been formed and a joint working group on data interoperability is being set up.