Publications

Dear Customers,

In line with the CRU’s PR5 Regulatory Framework Incentives and Reporting (CRU/20/154) determination, ESB Networks in its capacity as Distribution System Operator (DSO), today is publishing for consultation a public consultation on the Independent Role of the DSO.

This public consultation is intended to seek customers, industry participants and other interested parties views on the approach to the Independent Role of the DSO as set out under CRU20154.

Stakeholders are invited to respond on whether the proposed approach is aligned with the objectives of the Independent Role of the DSO incentive, as set out in the PR5 Regulatory Framework document, CRU 20/154.  Specifically for the Neutral Market Facilitator element, we would value stakeholders perspective on the following questions:

1. Are the commitments made in the programme Independence PID sufficient to demonstrate independence?
2. Are there other areas where you think the programme should be demonstrating independence?

We would welcome your feedback on our proposals to enhance the Independent Role of the DSO as outlined in this consultation.

Next Steps

The consultation period will run for four weeks, beginning on 21st February 2023, and closing on 21st March 2023 at 17:00pm.

Interested stakeholder’s views are invited and can be sent to consultations@esbnetworks.ie by 17:00pm on 21st March 2023.

Joint DSO/TSO Incentive Multi-Year Plan 2023-2027

EirGrid and ESB Networks, in their respective capacities as Transmission System Operator (TSO) and Distribution System Operator (DSO), have published a consultation on the Joint System Operator Programme.

The CRU as per Section 7.9 of its PR5 Regulatory Framework, Incentives and Reporting Decision Paper (CRU/20/154), requires the DSO and TSO to submit a detailed Multi-Year Plan for 2023-2027. As part of this process we are now seeking feedback on the Joint System Operator Programme. This consultation is intended to seek customers, industry participants and other interested parties views on the proposed tasks and activities set out in this paper.

Consultation Question

Stakeholders are invited to respond outlining their views on the posed questions within plan.

The Joint System Operator Programme paper is available to view on the EirGrid website and the ESB Networks website.

Next Steps

Interested stakeholders’ views are invited until 17:30 on 10 March 2023 and a response can be submitted through the EirGrid consultation portal and by email to engagement@esbnetworks.ie  

Please note that, in the TSO/DSO consultation response document which will be made publicly available, we will respond to consultation respondents’ comments and feedback within the scope of this consultation only. Comments and feedback outside the scope of this consultation will not be included in the consultation response document. Please mark your response as confidential if you do not wish for elements of your response to be referenced in the consultation response document. All responses will be shared with the CRU in any case.

CRU has approved Modification No. 60 of the Distribution Code, which was introduced to make corrections to the Distribution Code regarding Rate of Change of Frequency (RoCoF).

Effective Date 04/11/2022.

Step by step connection guide of pre and post energisation requirements for DSO wind and solar PV generators 1MW and above which are any Topology except 2 (no DSO reactive power requirements). EU Network Code 2016/631 on Requirements for Generators refers.

On the 14th September 2017, the Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1485 establishing a guideline on electricity transmission system operation (SO GL) entered into force. Article 40(6) of SO GL required all TSOs to agree on Key Organisational Requirements, Roles and Responsibilities (KORRR) relating to Data Exchange. KORRR was approved by the All Regulatory Authority on 19th December 2018, and will serve as the basis for what TSOs, DSOs and Significant Grid Users (SGUs) will need to do to comply with Articles 41 to 53 of SO GL. TSOs, DSOs and SGUs will need to comply with KORRR from 14th March 2019.

SGUs are the target audience of this consultation. SGUs are as defined under Article 2(1) of SO GL, which are;

(a) existing and new power generating modules that are, or would be, classified as type B, C and D in accordance with the criteria set out in Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/631;

(b) existing and new transmission-connected demand facilities;

(c) existing and new transmission-connected closed distribution systems;

(d) existing and new demand facilities, closed distribution systems and third parties if they provide demand response directly to the TSO in accordance with the criteria in Article 27 of Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/1388;

(e) providers of redispatching of power generating modules or demand facilities by means of aggregation and providers of active power reserve in accordance with Title 8 of Part IV of SO GL; and

(f) existing and new high voltage direct current (‘HVDC’) systems in accordance with the criteria in Article 3(1) of Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/1447.

The requirements of KORRR apply to new and existing SGUs.

Under Article 40(5) of SO GL, the TSO is required to co-ordinate with DSOs and SGUs within its Observability Area on the applicability and scope of data exchange. Also, under Article 40(7) each TSO is to reach an agreement with relevant DSOs on the processes and formats of data exchange between them. In early 2019 EirGrid initiated a consultation on KORRR. The purpose of this consultation was:

• To define the TSO’s and DSO’s proposed applicability and scope of KORRR.
• To enable the accurate incorporation of SGU interactions under KORRR to the TSO-DSO agreement.
• To provide SGUs with clear information of the TSO’s and DSO’s proposed SGU commitments under KORRR, and a mechanism for SGUs to provide feedback to the TSO and DSO ahead of the TSO-DSO agreement in March 2019

Current data exchange practices are already largely aligned with KORRR. As a result, the proposals in this KORRR consultation align with current practices and the requirements of the Grid Code and Distribution Code. EirGrid sought your feedback on a number of proposals which reflect this, with the below documents being made available for download:

(1) KORRR SGU Consultation – Ireland (produced jointly by EirGrid in its role as the Transmission System Operator in Ireland and ESB Networks in its role as the Distribution System Operator in Ireland)
(2) KORRR
(3) KORRR SGU Consultation Response Template – Ireland 

The consultation ran from 25 January 2019 to 17:00 close of business 25 February 2019 inclusive. There were no submissions in response to that consultation.

On 3 September 2020 the EirGrid Submission on the Applicability and Scope of Data Exchange under Key Organisational Requirements, Roles and Responsibilities (KORRR) in accordance with Article 6(4)(b) of the Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1485 of 2 August 2017 establishing a guideline on electricity transmission system operation was submitted to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). On 15 September 2020 the CRU issued its Decision to Approve the applicability and scope of data exchange under KORRR in accordance with Article 40(5) of SOGL. This Decision to Approve states as follows:

In accordance with this Decision, the TSO is required to publish the approved submission on the applicability and scope of data exchange under key organisational requirements, roles and responsibilities which is provided in the annex of this Decision on the internet as required by Article 8 of the SOGL.

Furthermore, as detailed in the submission, it is expected that the TSO and DSO will publish an SGU KORRR Decision Paper, which will finalise their positions with regards to SGU coordination under the KORRR.In line with this Decision to Approve and for completeness, the EirGrid is publishing as follows:

• The submission to the CRU under Article 40(5) of the SOGL is being made available here
• The CRU Decision to Approve the applicability and scope of data exchange under KORRR is being made available here
• EirGrid and ESB Networks' SGU KORRR Decision Paper is published here

In line with the CRU’s PR5 Regulatory Framework Incentives and Reporting (CRU/20/154) determination, ESB Networks in its capacity as Distribution System Operator (DSO), today is publishing for consultation a public consultation on Estimated Restoration Time (ERT) Accuracy.

This public consultation is intended to seek customers, industry participants and other interested parties views on the approach to the Estimated Restoration Time (ERT) Accuracy as set out under CRU/20/154.

Consultation Questions

(1) Do you have any feedback or input on the existing ESB Networks Estimated Restoration Time (ERT) process?

(2) Do you have any feedback or input on the proposed approach ESB Networks have outlined for improving the accuracy of ERTs?

(3) Were you previously aware of where to find the ERT of a fault that you have?

(4) Would you perceive an ERT that is rounded to the nearest 5 minute period (e.g. 10:00, 10:05, 10:10, 10:15 etc.) differently from an ERT that ends in another digit (e.g. 10:01, 10:02, 10:03, 10:04, 10:06 etc.)?

Next Steps

The consultation period will begin on 9^th December 2022, and closing on 20th January 2023 at 17:00pm.

Interested stakeholder’s views are invited and can be sent to consultations@esbnetworks.ie by 17:00pm on 20th January 2023.

Undertakings from ESB to ESB Networks DAC supporting DSO licence requirements.

The report covers the performance of ESB Networks’ Distribution Business for the year ending December 2019.