Commission for Energy Regulation
| State Agency of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1999 |
| Jurisdiction | Ireland |
| Headquarters | The Grain House, The Exchange, Belgard Square North, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 PXW0 |
| State Agency of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment executives |
|
| Key documents |
|
| Website | www |
The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER, Irish: An Coimisiún um Rialáil Fuinnimh) is Ireland's independent energy regulator. The CER has a wide range of economic, customer protection and safety responsibilities in energy. At a high-level, the CER's overall mission, acting in the interests of consumers, is to ensure that:
The aim of the CER’s economic role is to protect the interests of energy customers, maintain security of supply, and to promote competition covering the generation and supply of electricity and supply of natural gas. As part of its role, the CER jointly regulates the all-island wholesale Single Electricity Market (SEM) with its counterpart in Northern Ireland, the Utility Regulator. The SEM is governed by a decision-making body known as the SEM Committee, consisting of the CER, the Utility Regulator and an independent member
The CER has an important related function in customer protection by resolving complaints that customers have with energy companies.
In energy safety, the core focus of the CER is to protect lives and property across a range of areas in the energy sector. This includes safety regulation of electrical contractors, gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) installers and gas pipelines. In addition the CER is the safety regulator of upstream petroleum safety extraction and exploration activities, including off-shore gas and oil.
The CER is the economic regulator of the Irish public water and wastewater sector. This was anticipated to commence formally towards the end of 2013.
Generation
The CER licenses and monitors electricity generators.
Please see information on the wholesale/generation Single Electricity Market (SEM) in the next section.
Transmission Network
Generally the high voltage lines deliver electricity from Ireland's generation sources to the transformer stations, where the electricity voltage is reduced and taken onwards through the distribution system to individual customers' premises. There are also about 18 very large commercial customers directly connected to the transmission system.
EirGrid is the independent state-owned body licensed by the CER to act as transmission system operator (TSO) and is responsible for the operation, development and maintenance of the system. The TSO also offers terms and levies charges to market participants for the connection to and use of the transmission system, which are regulated by the CER. ESB Networks is licensed by the CER as the owner of the transmission system and is responsible for carrying out the maintenance and construction of the system.
The CER sets the allowed revenue/tariffs for the transmission business and approves the connection policy for generators and suppliers connecting to and/or using the network.
Distribution Network
...
Wikipedia