Skip to content
CERRE think tank Logo
  • About us
    • About CERRE
    • Our team
    • Board of Directors
    • Careers
    • Transparency & Independence
    • FAQs
  • Areas of expertise
    • Energy, Mobility & Sustainability
    • Tech, Media, and Telecommunications
    • Cross-sector
  • Publications
    • Ambitions for EU 2024 – 2029
    • Global Governance for the Digital Ecosystems
  • Events
    • Upcoming events
    • Past events
  • Blogposts
  • Insights
  • Media Room
    • Press Releases
    • Press Coverage
  • Membership
    • Our members
    • Become a member
  • Contact
  • About us
    • About CERRE
    • Our team
    • Board of Directors
    • Careers
    • Transparency & Independence
    • FAQs
  • Areas of expertise
    • Energy, Mobility & Sustainability
    • Tech, Media, and Telecommunications
    • Cross-sector
  • Publications
    • Ambitions for EU 2024 – 2029
    • Global Governance for the Digital Ecosystems
  • Events
    • Upcoming events
    • Past events
  • Blogposts
  • Insights
  • Media Room
    • Press Releases
    • Press Coverage
  • Membership
    • Our members
    • Become a member
  • Contact
Filter by Sectors





Publications
#Energy & Sustainability

Towards a More Dynamic Regulation for Energy Networks

  • March 26, 2024
Share.
Document(s)
Download the report here

This new CERRE Energy & Sustainability report explores potential areas where regulation could be changed to better cope with the uncertainty around net-zero energy policies. These include potential changes to the nature of planning, uncertainty mechanisms, regulatory incentives, financing arrangements, stakeholder engagement, innovation processes and industry governance.

The project is led by Michael Pollitt (Cambridge University), in collaboration with Andrei Covatariu (Energy Policy Group) and Daniel Duma (Stockholm Environment Institute).

Recommendations for improvement tackle the issues below:

  • The Nature of Regulation and the Regulatory Approach: Regulation needs to move beyond a static approach based on cost minimisation to efficiency to focus on dynamic innovation-led efficiency. Regulation needs to become more responsive and adaptive.
  • Potential regulation changes: Best practice network regulation goes a long way towards a more dynamic set-up. Thus, catching up with regulatory best practices should be a priority for all European regulators. This, inter alia, involves having ex-ante planning, appropriate uncertainty mechanisms, longer-term incentives, sufficient financing, effective stakeholder engagement, innovation funding mechanisms and promoting whole-system thinking.
  • Lessons from other sectors and outside Europe: European energy networks can learn from other sectors and countries. For instance, 25-year adaptive planning has been adopted in the water sector in England and Wales. An open innovation platform for the running of trials has been implemented in Singapore.
Author(s)
Loading...
Michael Pollitt
Michael Pollitt
CERRE Honorary Academic Director
University of Cambridge

Michael Pollitt is Professor of Business Economics at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. He is an Assistant Director of the university’s Energy Policy Research Group (EPRG) and a Fellow and Director of Studies in Economics and Management at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Michael is an elected Vice President (for Publications) of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE). He is a former external economic advisor to Ofgem.

Michael Pollitt is Professor of Business Economics at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. He is an Assistant Director of the university’s Energy Policy Research Group (EPRG) and a Fellow and Director of Studies in Economics and Management at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Michael is an elected Vice President (for Publications) of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE). He is a former external economic advisor to Ofgem.

Andrei Covatariu
Andrei Covatariu

Andrei Covatariu is an international energy and climate change expert. His activity focuses on climate and energy policies, concentrating on the energy transition process and its geopolitical, economic, and social challenges. Andrei’s views and policy analyses are constantly published and cited in international media. He holds multiple roles, working at the intersection of theoreticians (think tanks, academia) and practitioners (energy industry, international organizations, domestic), engaging with both private and public stakeholders, across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

Andrei is currently the Co-Chair of the Task Force on “Digitalization in Energy” and a Vice-Chair of the Group of Experts on Energy Efficiency at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Simultaneously, he serves as a Non-resident Scholar in the Climate and Water Program at the Middle East Institute (United States), a Senior Research Associate at Energy Policy Group (Romania), and an Associate Lecturer at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, teaching energy and environmental policies. In 2021, Andrei co-founded ECERA, a network of sustainability practitioners aiming to produce policy-relevant knowledge, helping governments, companies, NGOs, universities, and others navigate the various facets of sustainability.

In the past, Andrei has worked for other for-profit companies, or with different multilateral and international organizations (e.g. International Energy Agency, World Energy Council), think tanks (e.g. Harvard’s Belfer Center; Energy Policy Group), or NGOs (Climate Reality Project, Climate Interactive, etc.).

Andrei holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering, a master’s degree in business administration, and a master’s in public policy (MPP) from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, with a summer project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School.

Andrei Covatariu is an international energy and climate change expert. His activity focuses on climate and energy policies, concentrating on the energy transition process and its geopolitical, economic, and social challenges. Andrei’s views and policy analyses are constantly published and cited in international media. He holds multiple roles, working at the intersection of theoreticians (think tanks, academia) and practitioners (energy industry, international organizations, domestic), engaging with both private and public stakeholders, across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

Andrei is currently the Co-Chair of the Task Force on “Digitalization in Energy” and a Vice-Chair of the Group of Experts on Energy Efficiency at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Simultaneously, he serves as a Non-resident Scholar in the Climate and Water Program at the Middle East Institute (United States), a Senior Research Associate at Energy Policy Group (Romania), and an Associate Lecturer at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, teaching energy and environmental policies. In 2021, Andrei co-founded ECERA, a network of sustainability practitioners aiming to produce policy-relevant knowledge, helping governments, companies, NGOs, universities, and others navigate the various facets of sustainability.

In the past, Andrei has worked for other for-profit companies, or with different multilateral and international organizations (e.g. International Energy Agency, World Energy Council), think tanks (e.g. Harvard’s Belfer Center; Energy Policy Group), or NGOs (Climate Reality Project, Climate Interactive, etc.).

Andrei holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering, a master’s degree in business administration, and a master’s in public policy (MPP) from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, with a summer project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School.

Daniel Duma
Daniel Duma
Research Fellow
and Stockholm Environment Institute

Daniel Duma has a background in political science (B.A), public policy (MSc) and economics (PhD) and has worked in the energy sector for almost 10 years, holding various roles related to public policy, development, finance and sustainability at Enel. Currently, he is a Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute.

In 2020, Daniel completed the MBA program at the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School, with a concentration in Energy and Environment. Daniel is also an affiliated expert of the Energy Policy Group, where he contributed to research projects on the green transition and economic growth. Daniel is a fellow of the Aspen Institute Romania since 2015.

Daniel Duma has a background in political science (B.A), public policy (MSc) and economics (PhD) and has worked in the energy sector for almost 10 years, holding various roles related to public policy, development, finance and sustainability at Enel. Currently, he is a Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute.

In 2020, Daniel completed the MBA program at the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School, with a concentration in Energy and Environment. Daniel is also an affiliated expert of the Energy Policy Group, where he contributed to research projects on the green transition and economic growth. Daniel is a fellow of the Aspen Institute Romania since 2015.

More publications

on #Energy & Sustainability

Flexibility in the Energy Sector
27 May 2025
Market Design Options for CCS in Europe: CO2 Transport and Storage Regulation
25 March 2025
Europe’s Pathways to Net Zero: The Role of Renewable Gases and Flexibility
15 October 2024
Speeding Up Renewable Energy Permitting in Europe: Overcoming Implementation Challenges
15 October 2024
A Balanced Path to a Net Zero Future: Expansion, Flexibility, Integration and Innovation
15 October 2024
Securing Europe’s Net Zero Path with Flexible LNG
25 September 2024
Ambitions for Europe 2024-2029
27 June 2024
Scaling up Offshore Wind Energy in Europe
11 October 2023
Building Resilience in Europe’s Energy System
1 June 2023
Regulation and Standards for a Resilient European Energy System
22 February 2023

Stay informed

Subscribe to our newsletter for our latest updates

Subscribe now

Centre on Regulation in Europe asbl (CERRE)

Avenue Louise, 475 (box 10)
1050 Brussels, Belgium
T.: +32 2 230 83 60
E-mail: info@cerre.eu  

Linkedin-in Youtube Link
  • Copyright CERRE 2010-2024
  • BE 0824446055 RPM Bruxelles
About
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Board of Directors
  • Annual review
  • Careers
  • Transparency & Independence
  • FAQs
Expertise
  • Energy, Mobility & Sustainability
  • Tech, Media, Telecom
  • Cross-sector
More
  • Publications
  • Events
  • Blogposts
  • Insights
  • Privacy & Legals
  • Cookie Policy

Centre on Regulation in Europe asbl (CERRE)

Avenue Louise, 475 (box 10)
B-1050 Brussels – Belgium
T.: +3222308360
E-mail: info@cerre.eu 

BE 0824446055 RPM Bruxelles

Linkedin-in Youtube
About
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Board of directors
  • Annual review
  • Careers
  • Transparency & Independence
  • FAQs
Expertise
  • Energy & Sustainability
  • Tech, Media, Telecom
  • Mobility
  • Cross-sector
More
  • Publications
  • Events
  • News & insights
  • Our members
  • Become a member

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience.

OK
CERRE Privacy Policy