Grid expansion
Updated: 18.12.2018
Author: Tim Sternkopf
A plant operator may be contractually entitled against the grid operator to the expansion of the grid, if the expansion is necessary to establish a connection to the grid. The plant operator is entitled to the conclusion of such a contract. The exact conditions are laid down in the implementing legislation of the individual federal states (§ 12 para. 1 ElWOG).
Entitled party. The entitled parties are the grid users. A grid user is every natural person, legal entity or commercial enterprise that exports electricity to or receives electricity from a grid (§ 7 no. 49 ElWOG). For further information, please see the implementing legislation of the individual federal states.
Obligated party. The party obligated to expand the grid is the grid operator (§ 40 para. 1 no. 7 and. § 45 ElWOG). Further details are specified in the implementing legislation of the federal states.
Procedure
| Enforcement of claims | The RES producer cannot legally demand the grid operator to develop the grid, unless the grid operator agreed to this in a separate contract. A claim for the expansion of the grid arises on the date of the conclusion of the contract. |
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| Deadlines | Time limits for a possible claim for the expansion of the grid depend on the contract concluded. |
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Regulatory incentives for grid expansion and innovation
Grid operators are obliged by national law to operate, maintain and develop the grid. In doing so they shall consider economic conditions as well as the protection of the environment (§ 40 ElWOG). Neither the national nor the regional laws, however, define a specific obligation to develop the grid in order to enable the deployment or the integration of RES-E. Therefore, the Austrian legal framework provides no instrument that would enable the regulator to take future RES deployment as a specific objective into account when regulating tariffs.
Distribution of costs
| Consumers | Pursuant to the general provisions of energy law, the costs of the expansion of the distribution grid are borne by the party newly connected to the grid (§ 54 para.1 ElWOG). This “grid access fee” is based on the actual cost incurred for the grid expansion as well as the increase of the transmission capacity.
With regards to the transmission grid, the necessary investments are arranged by the country’s TSO APG. The costs are therefore borne by the grid fees mainly paid by electricity consumers and partly by electricity producers (G-component). For more detailed information on the grid expansion, please check the grid development plan for 2018-2027 by APG:
www.apg.at/-/media/4EEC51C90E2B4E8386A954635658FB11.pdf
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| Grid operator | Grid operators that receive electricity from the grid are also deemed to be receivers (§ 7 no. 14 ElWOG). |
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| Plant operator | Pursuant to the general provisions of energy law, the costs of the expansion of the distribution grid are borne by the party newly connected to the grid (§ 54 para.1 ElWOG). This “grid access fee” is based on the actual cost incurred for the grid expansion as well as the increase of the transmission capacity. If a small plant does not increase the necessary capacity of a grid connection by a private household, no extra grid access fee applies.
With regards to the transmission grid, the necessary investments are arranged by the country’s TSO APG. The costs are therefore borne by the grid fees mainly paid by electricity consumers and partly by electricity producers (G-component). For more detailed information on the grid expansion, please check the network development plan for 2018-2027 by APG:
www.apg.at/-/media/4EEC51C90E2B4E8386A954635658FB11.pdf
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| Distribution mechanism | Pursuant to the general provisions of energy law, the costs of the expansion of the grid are borne by the "receivers" (§ 7 SNE-VO 2012 idF 2017 Novelle). Receivers are final are system operators consumers that receive electricity from the grid (§ 7 no. 14 ElWOG). |
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Grid studies
Every year, the transmission grid operator shall submit a 10-year grid development plan to the regulatory authority for authorisation. The development plan shall be based on the current situation and the forecasts for electricity supply and demand and help meet the future demand for grid capacity (§ 37 ElWOG).
The current development plan for the planning period 2018-2027 is available on the following website (in German):
www.apg.at/-/media/4EEC51C90E2B4E8386A954635658FB11.pdf
in English:
https://www.apg.at/-/media/A5A6F8DDA85F413CADA61721FBE63A2A.pdf
Austria