Central European University A Program for University Teachers, Advanced Ph.D. Students, Researchers and Professionals in the Social Sciences and Humanities Summer University

since 19-09-2003 you are visitor no. 

Energy Regulatory Practices

Co-sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development 

July 26-30, 2004

go to [abstract] [course curriculum - Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday]

Course Director: Péter Kaderják, Hungarian Energy Office

Resource Persons: Florin Gugu Vidmantas Jankauskas, Chairman, National Control Commission for Prices and Energy, Lithuania, Ion Lungu, President, ANRE, Romania, Ligia Medrea, Carmen Oprea, ANRE, Romania, Mihaela Popescu, Romanian Electricity and Heat Regulatory Authority, Marko Senčar, deputy managing director of the Energy Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, Gábor Szörényi, Director, Hungarian Energy Office, László Varró, Director, Hungarian Energy Office

Abstract

Energy regulatory authorities have been set up in Central-Eastern Europe and in the Commonwealth of the Independent States over the past years as one of the fundamental elements of democracy and market economy. It is a new phenomenon in many countries and these institutions often struggle with lack of appropriate and transferable experience.

A training needs assessment prepared by the Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA) showed that economic and financial skills are central to the administrative and economic regulation of the public utilities. Professional development in energy regulation requires a working knowledge of regulatory economics, an understanding of policy impacts and the ability to navigate national policy processes, and effective agency management of the legal and organizational processes necessary for adequate "due-process" protection in regulatory activities. In addition, training programs must take into account local conditions and national values as well as the increasing movements toward regional markets and expanded trade in electricity, which are moving nations into more compatible, harmonized regulatory arrangements.

With this course, ERRA would like promote better regulatory practices in ERRA member countries as well as across the region as specific regional markets develop. ERRA members have created training materials to provide the technical, economic and legal skills that are needed to design and manage successful regulatory systems for the electric power industry. The course will focus on three major modules: Basic Economics of Regulation; Tariff and Pricing Issues; Licensing and Competition Issues in a level of depth that meets the professional needs of staff in regulatory commissions.

The design of the summer program is based on a peer-type of cooperation. Instructors of the course are practising energy regulators with significant and noteworthy regulatory experience and expertise. The course is designed to assure the transfer of practises and information from experienced regulators to new or young regulatory staff. At the same time, the course ensures that practises and lessons accumulated by energy regulators of the Central-Eastern European region are transferred to recently established organizations of other regions. The course is jointly supported by the Central European University and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Additional support was provided by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners of the United States.

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PART I: Introduction To The Economics Of Regulation And Role Of Regulator In The Liberalized Energy Sector (1 day)

PART II: Licensing / Competition

PART III: Tariffs And Pricing

MONDAY

08:00 – 08:30 REGISTRATION OF PARTICIPANTS

08:30 – 08:35 Mrs. Eva Gedeon, Executive Director, CEU Summer University - Opening address

08:35 - 9:00 Vidmantas Jankauskas, Chairman, ERRA; Chairman, National Control Commission for Prices and Energy, Lithuania - Regulating energy markets and the ERRA

9:00 - 10:40 Peter Kaderják, Director, Regional Centre for Energy Policy Research, REKK - Theory and principles of regulation

11:00 – 12:40 Vidmantas Jankauskas, Chairman, ERRA; Chairman, National Control Commission for Prices and Energy, Lithuania - The Role and Functions of the Regulator  

14:00 – 14:50 Vidmantas Jankauskas, Chairman, ERRA; Chairman, National Control Commission for Prices and Energy, Lithuania - Energy sector Liberalization and market reform – Global trends and developments in the EU countries

14:50 - 15:40 Carmen Oprea, ANRE, Romania - Basics on the legal aspects of regulatory work

16:00 - 16:50 Carmen Oprea, ANRE, Romania - Basics on the legal aspects of regulatory work, continued

16:50 - 17: 40 Round table of regulators and former regulators: Mr. Kaderják (moderator), Mr. Jankauskas, Mr. Szörényi, Mr. Varró, Ms. Oprea, Mr. de Jong - Parallel and opposing regulatory trends in the EU and the ERRA countries

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08:00 – 9:40 Gábor Szörényi, Director, HEO Hungary - Restructuring of the electricity industry: basic elements and models

10:00 - 10:50 Cont.

10:50 – 12:40 Jacques de Jong, Clingendale Institute, former Dutch regulator - Restructuring of the gas industry: basic elements and models

14:00 – 15:40 Marko Senčar, deputy managing director of the Energy Agency of the Republic of Slovenia - Regulation of Unbundled networks in electricity: access rules, investment and access pricing. System operation

15:40 – 16:00 Coffee Break

16:00 –16:50  Gábor Szörényi, Director, HEO Hungary - Service quality regulation in the network industry

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WEDNESDAY

8:00 – 8:50 Peter Kaderják, Director, Regional Centre for Energy Policy Research, REKK - Energy wholesale and balancing markets Long term contracts

8:50 - 9:40 Ion Lungu, President, ANRE, Romania - Cross-border trading and regional market initiatives – South East European market

10:00 – 10:50 Ion Lungu, President, ANRE, Romania - Cross-border trading and regional market initiatives – South East European market, Continued

10:50 - 12:30 Ms. Michaela Popescu, ANRE, Romania - Licensing: regulating entry, supervision and enforcement

14:00 – 15:40 Commissioner Lubov Goncharova, NERC, Ukraine -  Public involvement and dispute resolution techniques at regulatory authorities

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THURSDAY  

8:00 – 9:40 Mr. László Varró, Head of Department, HEO Hungary - Economics of open markets / Basics of price and cost

9:40 – 10:00 Coffee Break

10:00 - 10:50 Cont.

10:50 - 12:30 Commissioner Florin Gugu, ANRE, Romania - Basic elements of tariff design

14:00 – 14:50 Commissioner Florin Gugu, ANRE, Romania - Network tariffs: transmission and distribution

14:50 - 16:20 Cont.

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8:00 – 8:50 Commissioner Florin Gugu, ANRE, Romania -

8:50 - 9:40 Romanian Gas Regulator - Gas network and product pricing

9:40 – 10:00 Coffee Break

10:00 - 10:50 Romanian Gas Regulator - Gas network and product pricing, Continued

10:50 - 12:40 Mr. Peter Kaderják (Director, Regional Centre for Energy Policy Research, REKK) - Pricing electricity from renewable sources and co-generation

14:00 – 15:40 Ms. Cathy Connors, Pierce Atwood - Benchmarking of regulatory commissions

15:40 – 15:50 Coffee Break

15:50 - 16:30 Participants - Course evaluation and suggestions for improvement

16:30 - 16:45 Course director - Final comments and farewell

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Note: the course has a special application form.

[download this course description (.doc)] [brief description] [course list]