RAP’s partnership with the Warsaw-based think tank Forum for Energy is advancing discussions around the impact of the European “Winter Package” of energy and climate legislation in Poland. The new legislation aims to bolster the competitiveness of the European Union in the transition to an integrated, secure, and low-emissions energy sector. While the package poses challenges for the Polish power system, it also creates opportunity to increase the flexibility of that system, strengthening its resilience against challenges such as higher summer peak demand and night valleys. It also creates an opportunity to set the right investment signals to secure resource adequacy in the longer term through investments in supply- and demand-side resources.

At a recent Forum event focusing on the Winter Package, RAP’s Edith Bayer provided an overview of the legislation, concentrating on the proposed changes to wholesale market design and security of supply. Participants also heard directly from Andras Hujber from the European Commission, who addressed elements of the Winter Package and joined a subsequent discussion with stakeholders from the government, power sector, renewables advocates, and academics.

“RAP is uniquely positioned in the dialogue around power sector transformation in Poland,” said Bayer. “Our efforts in the region in past years have focused on the topics at the center of the current dialogue—the challenges facing the Polish power sector, along with the importance of market reform, demand-side resources, and greater regional integration.”

In December, the Forum published a study by Bayer and RAP’s Dr. Jan Rączka, Enabling demand-side resources to the benefit of the power system and consumers (in Polish). The authors explore the effect of consumer behavior on power system peaks and recommend steps for aligning consumption patterns with the needs of the power system. The study concludes that small adjustments to current tariff designs for household consumers can support the needs of the power system while saving consumers money.

“Modernizing the power system and ensuring its reliability will require a combination of regulatory measures and market reforms. What we’re really talking about is an evolution of the framework underpinning our electricity systems towards a model that is more flexible, more distributed, and that activates—and benefits—consumers,” says Bayer.