A half day conference on the "Challenges Facing Greece's Electricity Market" was successfully organized by the Institute at the Divani Caravel hotel in Athens on Thursday, May 9 drawing large crowds of attendees and an impressive number of speakers and panelists. A total of 19 speakers and panelists participated in this timely event where the pressing issues now facing Greece's vibrant electricity market were hotly debated.A half day conference on the "Challenges Facing Greece's Electricity Market" was successfully organized by the Institute at the Divani Caravel hotel in Athens on Thursday, May 9 drawing large crowds of attendees and an impressive number of speakers and panelists. A total of 19 speakers and panelists participated in this timely event where the pressing issues now facing Greece's vibrant electricity market were hotly debated.
The dominant issue in today's energy scene in Greece is the forthcoming transition of the market from the present mandatory pool system into a more open market to be based on the so called "Target Model", according EC's latest electricity market design,and in conjunction with the much anticipated operation of the recently founded Hellenic Energy Exchange, which is slated to commence operations by the end of this year. Electricity market integration in parallel to the operation of local and regional power exchanges is the European norm to which the Greek electricity market must abide. This latest IENE event provided the opportunity for most of Greece's key players to participate and air their views on the forthcoming structural changes in the operation of the electricity market and the need for further improvements,including the strengthening of market mechanisms such as the introduction of electricity coupling with neighboring markets.
Speakers and panelists included senior executives from the Hellenic Energy Exchange (EnEx),the Public Power Corporation (PPC), the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO), the Regulatory Energy Authority (RAE),the Association of Independent Electricity Producers, and from Elpedison, Heron Thermoelectric and Protergia, the three major independent power producers. Other speakers and panelists included Mr.Elias Karidogiannis, Chairman of electricity trader ENSCO and member of IENE's board of directors, Mr. Anastassios Tossios, Chairman of IENE’s Natural Gas Committee and Commercial Director, EDA Attica, Mr. Anthony Kontoleon, from the Hellenic Union of Industrial Consumers of Energy (UNICEN), Mr.Constantine Athanasiadis, chairman of the Hellenic Association of Electricity Traders, Mr. Panayiotis Papastamatiou from the Hellenic Wind Energy Association, Mr.Stylianos Loumakis,chairman of the Association of PV Producers, Mr.Vassilis Rallis an independent energy consultant and Ms. Maria Koulouvari, Deputy Director, Department of Guarantees of Origin & Energy Disclosure, Operator of RES & Guarantees of Origin (DAPEEP SA)
Professor Pantelis Capros, head of the E3 -Modelling, from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), and chairman of IENE's scientific committee delivered the conference keynote address where he described the electricity market operation so far and its various deficiencies but also identified the various pitfalls awaiting the market's next phase. Another keynote address was contributed by Mr. Andreas Petropouleas, head of operations at Elpedison, and chair of IENE's electricity committee, who provided a very factual analysis of Greece's current electricity market operation.This latest IENE event was sponsored by PPC, EnEx and Elpedison.
