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Transmission system operator

A transmission system operator (TSO) is an independent entity responsible for operating, maintaining, and planning the high-voltage electricity transmission network to transport power from generation facilities to distribution systems or large consumers, ensuring grid stability and reliability without direct involvement in power generation or retail supply.^[1] TSOs manage real-time system balancing by monitoring flows, implementing corrective actions to prevent blackouts, and coordinating with generators to match supply with demand variations.^[2] In regulated markets, they adhere to standards set by bodies like the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), which mandates responsibilities for transmission reliability and emergency response.^[3] TSOs play a critical role in integrating renewable energy sources, which introduce intermittency challenges requiring advanced forecasting, storage coordination, and grid reinforcements to avoid curtailments or instability.^[4] In Europe, under the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), 40 TSOs from 36 countries collaborate on cross-border capacity allocation and system adequacy assessments to support the continent's energy transition.^[5] Notable defining characteristics include their natural monopoly status, subject to strict unbundling rules to prevent discrimination against competitors, and their evolution in response to market liberalization, where entities like Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) in the United States perform analogous functions by operating wholesale markets and transmission assets.^[6] Controversies often arise over investment costs passed to consumers, delays in grid expansions amid regulatory hurdles, and debates on their independence from political influences in funding large-scale infrastructure projects essential for decarbonization goals.^[2]

Definition and Scope

Core Responsibilities and Functions

A transmission system operator (TSO) is a natural or legal person responsible for operating, ensuring the maintenance of, and, if necessary, developing the transmission system in a given area, including its interconnections with other systems, to guarantee the long-term ability of the system to meet reasonable demands for energy transmission.^[7] This encompasses both electricity and natural gas networks, where TSOs manage high-voltage or high-pressure infrastructure to transport bulk energy from production facilities to distribution systems or major consumers.^[8] In practice, TSOs prioritize system security, non-discriminatory access for network users, and compliance with technical standards to avoid disruptions.^[9] Core functions include real-time system monitoring, control, and balancing to maintain stability, particularly in electricity where TSOs coordinate generation, demand, and ancillary services to prevent imbalances that could lead to cascading failures.^[5] For instance, under EU guidelines established in 2017, TSOs must implement coordinated operational security analyses and remedial actions across borders, such as redispatch or countertrading, to handle contingencies like generator outages or sudden load changes.^[10] In natural gas, analogous responsibilities involve managing pipeline pressures, injecting or withdrawing gas from storage, and ensuring flow adequacy during peak demands, as outlined in network codes effective since 2017.^[8] TSOs also handle long-term planning and investment, conducting adequacy assessments and grid reinforcement to integrate variable renewables or accommodate load growth; for example, European TSOs under ENTSO-E coordination have expanded interconnections to support 56 GW of net transfer capacity by 2025 targets.^[11] They facilitate market operations by publishing transparent network data, managing auctions for capacity rights, and settling imbalances, ensuring efficient resource allocation without favoring affiliated entities.^[7] Emergency response protocols, including blackout restoration plans, form another critical duty, with TSOs required to simulate and rehearse scenarios to minimize downtime, as reinforced by regulations post-2006 European blackouts.^[12] Transmission system operators (TSOs) are differentiated from distribution system operators (DSOs) by the scale, voltage levels, and geographical scope of their networks. TSOs manage high-voltage transmission systems, typically operating at 110 kV and above, to transport bulk electricity over long distances from power plants to interconnection points with regional or local grids. DSOs, by contrast, oversee lower-voltage distribution networks, generally below 110 kV, that deliver electricity directly to end consumers such as homes, commercial buildings, and industrial sites. This division ensures efficient power flow while allowing TSOs to prioritize system-wide stability and DSOs to focus on localized demand management.^[13]^[14] In jurisdictions outside Europe, such as North America, entities performing roles similar to TSOs include independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs), which coordinate transmission across multi-jurisdictional areas under oversight from bodies like the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). ISOs and RTOs emphasize market administration, real-time balancing, and non-discriminatory access to the grid but generally do not own transmission assets, instead directing operations of infrastructure owned by utilities. European TSOs, defined under EU directives, often retain ownership of transmission facilities and operate nationally or regionally with a stronger mandate for infrastructure development and cross-border coordination, reflecting unbundling requirements that separate transmission from generation and supply to mitigate conflicts of interest.^[6]^[10]^[15] TSOs also operate independently from electricity generators, which focus on power production at facilities like coal, nuclear, or renewable plants, and from vertically integrated utilities that combine generation, transmission, and retail supply. While TSOs procure ancillary services for grid balancing from generators, they do not own or dispatch generation assets directly, preserving neutrality in competitive markets. This separation stems from regulatory reforms, such as those in the EU's Third Energy Package, which enforce ownership unbundling or at least functional independence for TSOs to prevent discrimination against non-affiliated market participants.^[15]^[10] In natural gas sectors, TSOs manage high-pressure, long-haul pipeline networks for interstate or cross-border transport, distinct from local distribution companies that handle lower-pressure delivery to consumers, mirroring the electricity model's emphasis on unbundled, impartial operation.^[16]

Historical Development

Origins in Vertically Integrated Utilities

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as electric power systems expanded, vertically integrated utilities emerged as monopolistic entities controlling the full spectrum of electricity supply, from fuel sourcing and generation to transmission, distribution, and retail sales. These utilities, often investor-owned or state-regulated monopolies, developed high-voltage transmission networks to connect remote power plants—typically hydroelectric or coal-fired stations—to urban load centers, enabling economies of scale in generation while ensuring reliable delivery. Transmission management was an internal function, with utilities engineering lines, substations, and control systems to match their own generation output with demand, prioritizing system stability through manual dispatching and rudimentary load forecasting. For instance, in the United States, by the 1920s, major utilities like those in the Northeast had built interconnected transmission grids spanning hundreds of miles, operated under state public utility commissions that enforced cost-of-service pricing to recover investments.^[17]^[18] This integrated structure inherently embedded the precursors to modern TSO responsibilities within utility operations, as transmission required specialized expertise in voltage regulation, fault protection, and capacity expansion decoupled from short-term generation decisions. Utilities invested in transmission assets—such as the 345 kV lines pioneered in the U.S. during the 1950s—to handle growing loads and integrate baseload plants, with planning guided by engineering standards rather than competitive markets. Reliability was maintained through bilateral agreements and early pooling arrangements; for example, the U.S. Northeast Power Coordinating Committee, formed in 1948, facilitated voluntary coordination among vertically integrated firms to share reserves and avoid blackouts, demonstrating the causal need for centralized oversight even within proprietary systems. In Europe, similar dynamics prevailed, with national utilities like France's Électricité de France (established 1946) managing transmission as an extension of state-owned generation to support post-war industrialization.^[19]^[20] The vertically integrated model fostered efficient internal optimization but sowed inefficiencies for broader grid utilization, as utilities had incentives to prioritize their own generation over third-party access, limiting transmission's role as a neutral conduit. Empirical data from the era show transmission investments averaged 20-30% of total utility capital expenditures in the U.S. by the 1960s, driven by load growth outpacing generation costs, yet coordinated expansions were ad hoc without standardized protocols. This foundational transmission expertise, honed through decades of causal linkages between supply reliability and economic viability, directly informed the operational frameworks of subsequent independent TSOs, where unbundling later separated these functions to mitigate conflicts of interest.^[21]

Emergence of Independent Operators

The push for independent transmission system operators arose from efforts to dismantle vertically integrated utility monopolies, enabling competitive electricity and gas markets by ensuring non-discriminatory access to transmission networks and mitigating conflicts of interest between generation/supply and network operations.^[22] Early unbundling initiatives separated transmission from generation and retail supply, with the first significant examples emerging in the late 1980s and early 1990s in response to national privatization and liberalization reforms.^[22] In the United Kingdom, the Electricity Act 1989 privatized the industry and established the National Grid Company as an independent transmission operator on April 1, 1990, vesting it with ownership and operation of the high-voltage grid separate from generation and distribution entities.^[22] This model influenced subsequent reforms, including in Norway where Statnett was unbundled as the independent TSO in 1992, and in other nations like Chile (1985), Argentina (1992), and Peru (1992), where transmission separation preceded broader market competition.^[22] For natural gas, similar separations occurred, such as in the UK with the 1986 Gas Act leading to independent pipeline operations by British Gas's transmission arm, later fully unbundled. In the United States, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Orders 888 and 889, issued in April 1996, mandated open access to transmission and proposed independent system operators (ISOs) to oversee grid operations impartially, laying the groundwork for regional entities.^[6] PJM Interconnection became the first ISO in 1997, managing transmission across multiple states and expanding to include competitive wholesale markets.^[23] FERC Order 2000 in December 1999 further promoted regional transmission organizations (RTOs), voluntary independent operators certified by 2005 in regions covering about 60% of U.S. load.^[6] European Union directives accelerated the trend continent-wide. The 1996 Electricity Directive introduced accounting unbundling, requiring separation of transmission accounts from other activities, while the 2003 package enforced legal unbundling for TSOs to prevent undue influence from parent utilities.^[24] The 2009 Third Energy Package strengthened this with options for ownership unbundling or independent transmission operator (ITO) models, applied to both electricity and gas, resulting in over 30 independent TSOs coordinated via ENTSO-E by 2015.^[7] These reforms, driven by goals of market integration and efficiency, faced resistance from incumbents citing coordination challenges, yet empirical evidence from early adopters showed improved grid utilization and investment incentives without widespread reliability losses.^[22]

Key Regulatory Milestones

In the United States, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order No. 888, issued on April 24, 1996, established non-discriminatory open access to transmission systems owned by public utilities, marking a pivotal shift toward competitive wholesale electricity markets and laying the groundwork for independent transmission operations by requiring utilities to separate transmission from generation functions functionally. This was complemented by FERC Order No. 889 on the same date, which mandated the use of electronic bulletin boards for transmission information to ensure comparable treatment for third-party users. Subsequently, FERC Order No. 2000, issued December 20, 1999, encouraged the voluntary formation of Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) to manage transmission on a regional basis, promoting independence from market participants to enhance grid efficiency and reliability. In the European Union, the First Electricity Directive (96/92/EC), adopted December 19, 1996, introduced initial unbundling requirements by mandating separate accounting for transmission activities from generation and supply, aiming to foster a single internal energy market while preventing cross-subsidization.^[25] The Second Electricity Directive (2003/54/EC), effective February 10, 2004, advanced to legal unbundling, requiring transmission system operators (TSOs) to operate as distinct legal entities independent from production and supply arms to mitigate conflicts of interest.^[26] The Third Energy Package, culminating in Directive 2009/72/EC adopted July 13, 2009, imposed stricter ownership unbundling for TSOs in most member states, prohibiting integrated companies from retaining control over transmission assets, with alternatives like the Independent System Operator model permitted under certain conditions to ensure impartial grid access.^[27] Parallel gas directives followed similar trajectories, with the 2009 Gas Directive (2009/73/EC) enforcing comparable unbundling for gas TSOs.^[28] More recently, FERC Order No. 1920, approved May 13, 2024, requires transmission providers to develop long-term regional plans over a 20-year horizon, incorporating scenario-based assessments of future needs including renewables integration, to address longstanding deficiencies in proactive grid expansion amid rising demand.^[29] In the EU, the Clean Energy Package of 2019, including Regulation (EU) 2019/943 effective January 1, 2020, further reinforced TSO coordination through the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), established in 2009 under the third package, to harmonize cross-border planning and market coupling.^[30] These milestones reflect a global evolution toward TSO independence driven by deregulation, though implementation varies by jurisdiction, with ongoing debates over enforcement efficacy and investment incentives.^[31]

Operations in Electricity Transmission

Grid Reliability and Real-Time Management

Transmission system operators (TSOs) maintain grid reliability by overseeing real-time monitoring, control, and balancing of electricity flows across high-voltage networks to prevent outages and ensure system stability. This involves continuous assessment of grid conditions using supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and advanced tools for voltage security and phasor measurement.^[32]^[33] TSOs must respond to imbalances caused by generator trips, load fluctuations, or faults within seconds to minutes, adhering to standards like those from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), which mandate real-time reliability monitoring and analysis capabilities.^[34] Frequency control forms a core aspect of TSO real-time management, as deviations from nominal values—such as 60 Hz in North America or 50 Hz in Europe—can lead to cascading failures if not corrected promptly. TSOs procure and dispatch ancillary services, including automatic generation control for secondary reserves that adjust output within 30 seconds to 10 minutes, and primary reserves for immediate inertial response from synchronous generators.^[35]^[36] In interconnected systems, TSOs coordinate with neighboring operators via area control error signals to restore balance, with NERC's TOP-001 standard requiring transmission operators to implement operating plans for mitigating frequency excursions identified in real-time assessments.^[37] Voltage stability is managed through reactive power control, where TSOs direct capacitor banks, reactors, and generator excitation systems to counteract under- or over-voltages, particularly during peak loads or contingencies. Real-time tools, such as dynamic line rating systems, provide operators with updated capacity data to optimize flows without risking thermal overloads, enhancing reliability amid variable renewable integration.^[38] NERC's standards further require TSOs to perform real-time assessments of system operating limits (SOLs) and initiate mitigation for exceedances, ensuring compliance through documented evidence of operator actions.^[39] Contingency response protocols enable TSOs to simulate and mitigate N-1 or N-2 events—such as the loss of a major line or generator—using state estimator models updated every few minutes. These efforts prioritize causal factors like inadequate reserves or hidden failures over narrative-driven attributions, with empirical data from past blackouts, such as the 2003 Northeast outage, informing protocols that emphasize real-time visibility and automated alerts.^[40] Overall, TSO operations integrate predictive analytics with human oversight in control centers staffed by certified system operators, sustaining reliability metrics like loss-of-load expectation below 0.1 days per year in mature grids.^[41]

Market Operations and Balancing Mechanisms

Transmission system operators (TSOs) facilitate electricity market operations by integrating market outcomes into grid scheduling, ensuring that nominated generation and load patterns respect transmission constraints while maintaining system stability. In liberalized markets, TSOs typically do not directly trade energy but validate and enforce day-ahead auction results from power exchanges, allocating available transmission capacity through congestion management procedures such as market coupling or explicit auctions.^[42] For instance, in the European interconnected system managed by ENTSO-E, TSOs coordinate cross-border capacity allocation to enable efficient day-ahead trading across bidding zones, with intraday markets allowing continuous adjustments up to gate closure times, often 15 to 60 minutes before real-time delivery.^[43] This process relies on TSOs' real-time forecasting of supply, demand, and renewable variability to minimize deviations that could necessitate later interventions.^[44] Balancing mechanisms serve as the TSO's primary tool for real-time supply-demand equilibrium, addressing forecast errors, outages, and sudden fluctuations that persist after market gates close. TSOs procure and activate balancing capacity—pre-qualified resources held in reserve—and balancing energy, dispatched as needed to restore frequency to the nominal 50 Hz (Europe) or 60 Hz (North America).^[45] Under the European Electricity Balancing Guideline (EBGL), effective since 2017, TSOs harmonize procurement through platforms like the European Platform for the International Coordination of Automated Frequency Restoration and Stable System Operation (PICASSO) for automatic reserves and MARI (Manual Activation Reserves Initiative) for manual ones, enabling cross-border sharing to optimize costs and efficiency.^[46] Balancing reserves are categorized by response speed: Frequency Containment Reserves (FCR) activate within seconds via automatic local control; automatic Frequency Restoration Reserves (aFRR) within minutes through centralized dispatching; and manual Frequency Restoration Reserves (mFRR) or replacement reserves for longer-term adjustments, often via merit-order activation to minimize system costs.^[47] Imbalance settlement mechanisms penalize or reward parties for deviations from final schedules, with TSOs calculating net system imbalances and applying single or dual pricing based on regional rules—e.g., paying exporters during surpluses and charging importers during shortages in dual systems to incentivize accurate forecasting.^[48] In the UK, the Balancing Mechanism operates as a mandatory online auction where the National Energy System Operator (NESO) accepts bids and offers from generators and suppliers to adjust output or demand in five-minute intervals, ensuring operational security without practical alternatives to TSO-led balancing due to the instantaneous nature of electricity.^[49] Costs of these mechanisms, reported by ENTSO-E, averaged €2.5-3 billion annually across Europe in recent years, reflecting increasing variability from renewables and the need for flexible resources, though cross-border integration has reduced per-MWh expenses by enabling efficient resource pooling. In the United States, independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs), functioning analogously to TSOs, operate vertically integrated balancing markets with co-optimized energy and reserves in five-minute real-time dispatch, contrasting Europe's more sequential approach but similarly emphasizing locational marginal pricing to reflect congestion and losses.^[50] TSOs' independence from generation ownership, mandated by unbundling regulations, ensures neutral market facilitation, though challenges arise from varying national implementations, such as France's RTE designing real-time balancing markets to integrate nuclear baseload with intermittent sources.^[51] Overall, these operations prioritize causal reliability—where physical grid physics dictate that imbalances cause frequency deviations and potential blackouts—over purely economic signals, with TSOs bearing ultimate liability for system inertia and stability.^[52]

Infrastructure and Technical Requirements

Transmission system operators (TSOs) rely on extensive high-voltage infrastructure to transport electricity over long distances with minimal losses, typically operating at extra-high voltage levels from 220 kV to 765 kV or higher for alternating current (AC) lines and up to ±500 kV or more for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems.^[14]^[53] This includes overhead lines supported by towers or pylons, underground cables for specific routes, and substations equipped with transformers for voltage stepping, circuit breakers for fault isolation, and switchgear for reconfiguration.^[54] Substations must meet design standards ensuring structural integrity against environmental loads like wind and ice, with minimum conductor clearances and insulation levels specified by regional codes.^[55] Technical requirements emphasize grid reliability through adherence to mandatory standards, such as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Reliability Standards, which include Transmission Planning (TPL) requirements for systems to withstand extreme contingencies like the loss of multiple elements (N-1-1 or higher) without cascading failures.^[56] In Europe, the ENTSO-E System Operation Guideline mandates operational security analyses, common grid models, and coordination for load-frequency control to maintain frequency within 49.8-50.2 Hz and voltage stability.^[57] TSOs must implement Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems integrated with Energy Management Systems (EMS) for real-time monitoring, fault detection, and automated control of generation dispatch and load balancing.^[58] Additional requirements cover reactive power management via standards like NERC's Voltage and Reactive (VAR) protocols to regulate voltage profiles and prevent blackouts, alongside facilities maintenance under Facilities Design, Connections, and Maintenance (FAC) standards for vegetation management and equipment testing.^[56] Infrastructure must support bidirectional flows from renewables, necessitating dynamic line ratings and advanced sensors for enhanced capacity utilization without compromising safety margins.^[17] Compliance involves annual reporting on incidents and inertia levels to ensure dynamic stability amid increasing inverter-based resources.^[57]

Operations in Natural Gas Transmission

Pipeline Network Management

Transmission system operators (TSOs) for natural gas are responsible for the operational oversight of high-pressure pipeline networks, ensuring the safe and efficient transport of gas from production or import points to distribution hubs or large consumers. This includes continuous monitoring of pipeline flows, pressures, and integrity to prevent disruptions and maintain system reliability. In Europe, TSOs coordinate through organizations like ENTSOG to map infrastructure and develop ten-year network plans that address capacity needs and interconnections.^[59] Pipeline monitoring occurs 24 hours a day from centralized control centers, utilizing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to track gas movement across segments, detect anomalies such as pressure drops or leaks, and adjust compressor stations for optimal flow. TSOs employ advanced technologies, including inline inspection tools and fiber-optic sensing, to assess pipeline condition and mitigate risks like corrosion or third-party damage. For instance, operators must inspect pipelines for atmospheric corrosion at least every three years, with intervals not exceeding 39 months, as mandated by U.S. federal regulations.^[60]^[61] Maintenance activities encompass routine patrols, cathodic protection for corrosion control, and vegetation management to safeguard pipeline rights-of-way, alongside emergency response planning for incidents like ruptures. TSOs allocate transmission capacity through standardized booking processes, ensuring non-discriminatory access while prioritizing system integrity during nominations and scheduling. In regions like the UK, the system operator maintains the national transmission system by balancing inputs from shippers against real-time demands, often coordinating with storage and LNG facilities.^[62] Network expansion and development are proactively managed by TSOs, who initiate feasibility studies, environmental assessments, and stakeholder consultations for new pipelines or upgrades to accommodate growing demand or decarbonization goals, such as hydrogen blending. Regulatory frameworks require TSOs to report on integrity management programs, including hydrostatic testing and risk assessments, to comply with standards like those from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in the U.S.^[63]^[64]

Supply-Demand Balancing and Storage Coordination

Transmission system operators (TSOs) in natural gas networks maintain system integrity by continuously balancing supply and demand to prevent pressure deviations that could disrupt flows or damage infrastructure. Unlike electricity, natural gas is compressible and storable, allowing some tolerance for short-term imbalances, but TSOs must still ensure aggregate injections equal withdrawals plus linepack changes within operational limits. This involves real-time monitoring of nominations from shippers, production inputs, and consumption at offtake points, with interventions triggered when discrepancies exceed thresholds.^[65]^[66] TSOs employ market-based balancing mechanisms, such as auctions for interruptible capacity or within-day trading, to procure or offload gas and incentivize shippers—termed balancing responsible parties—to align their positions. Imbalance charges penalize deviations, with penalties escalating for persistent or system-wide mismatches, while neutrality provisions ensure TSOs recover costs without profit from these actions. In the European Union, TSOs are mandated to prioritize commercial balancing services over physical interventions, fostering liquidity in balancing markets. For instance, under the Network Code on Balancing, TSOs calculate daily imbalances and invoice charges accordingly, covering actions like purchasing gas from storage or external sources.^[67]^[65]^[66] Storage coordination is central to seasonal balancing, as underground facilities—primarily depleted reservoirs or aquifers—enable off-peak injections and peak withdrawals to buffer demand spikes from heating or power generation. TSOs schedule storage operations by integrating operator nominations into transmission flows, ensuring equitable third-party access while maintaining system pressures; in the U.S., storage mitigates winter peaks by holding up to 4 trillion cubic feet as of 2023, with TSOs like those under FERC oversight coordinating via pipeline scheduling to avoid bottlenecks. European regulations require TSOs to facilitate storage-to-transmission interfaces, often through regulated tariffs, preventing monopolistic control and supporting market signals for injection/withdrawal rates. Disruptions, such as the 2022 European storage shortfalls amid reduced Russian supplies, underscore TSOs' role in mandating minimum fill levels—e.g., 90% by November 1 under EU rules—to enhance resilience.^[68]^[8]^[69]

Key Operational Differences from Electricity

Natural gas transmission system operators (TSOs) manage commodity flows through pressurized pipeline networks, where the compressibility of gas enables inherent storage via linepack—the volume held within pipelines to buffer short-term supply variations—unlike electricity TSOs, which cannot store bulk power without specialized facilities like batteries or pumped hydro, necessitating instantaneous supply-demand equilibrium to maintain grid frequency at 50 or 60 Hz.^[70] This storability in gas systems allows TSOs to operate with greater temporal flexibility, injecting or withdrawing gas from underground facilities during off-peak periods for seasonal balancing, as evidenced by U.S. practices where approximately 4 trillion cubic feet of working gas capacity is cycled annually between April-October injections and November-March withdrawals.^[71] In contrast, electricity imbalances propagate rapidly across synchronous grids, risking cascading blackouts if not corrected within seconds, as seen in events like the 2003 Northeast blackout affecting 50 million customers due to unchecked frequency deviations.^[72] Balancing mechanisms differ fundamentally in timeframe and methodology: gas TSOs rely on advance shipper nominations—typically day-ahead confirmations of entry-exit points—followed by intraday adjustments via market-based balancing signals, with standard balancing periods spanning hours or a full "gas day" (e.g., 5:00-5:00 next day in Europe). Electricity TSOs, however, employ real-time dispatch and ancillary services like frequency containment reserves activated in under 30 seconds, drawing from interconnected generators to match load fluctuations continuously. Gas TSOs thus prioritize predictive flow management, penalizing shipper imbalances through cash-out mechanisms or neutral balancing to avoid financial exposure, whereas electricity operations integrate automatic generation control loops for sub-minute corrections, highlighting the causal role of electricity's non-storability in demanding ultra-responsive infrastructure. Operationally, gas TSOs focus on hydraulic modeling for pressure gradients and compressor station scheduling to sustain flows—requiring about 1-2% of throughput energy for compression across high-pressure systems operating at 50-100 bar—diverging from electricity TSOs' emphasis on electromagnetic stability, contingency analysis under N-1 criteria, and reactive power control via synchronous condensers or STATCOM devices. While both monitor via SCADA systems, gas networks tolerate localized disruptions better due to sectionalizing valves and slower propagation speeds (gas travels at ~10-20 m/s versus electromagnetic waves near light speed), but face unique risks like pipeline integrity from corrosion or third-party damage, addressed through inline inspection tools every 5-7 years per PHMSA regulations.^[73] These differences stem from the molecular physics of gas versus the physics of alternating current, enabling gas TSOs to coordinate with storage operators for multi-day resilience, in opposition to electricity's reliance on spinning reserves for immediate inertial response.^[74]

Regulatory and Legal Framework

Unbundling Mandates and Independence

Unbundling mandates for transmission system operators (TSOs) require the legal, functional, or ownership separation of transmission network activities from electricity generation, production, or supply functions to mitigate conflicts of interest and ensure impartial, non-discriminatory access to infrastructure.^[75] This structural independence aims to promote competition in liberalized energy markets by preventing vertically integrated utilities from favoring their own generation or supply over competitors.^[76] Similar principles apply to natural gas TSOs, separating transmission from production and supply to facilitate fair third-party access to pipelines.^[31] The foundational EU mandates emerged through progressive liberalization directives, evolving from accounting unbundling in the 1996 Electricity Directive (96/92/EC) and 1998 Gas Directive (98/30/EC) to legal unbundling under the 2003 packages.^[77] The Third Energy Package, adopted in July 2009 and entering into force on September 3, 2009, imposed stricter requirements via Directive 2009/72/EC for electricity and 2009/73/EC for gas, mandating one of three models: full ownership unbundling (OU), independent system operator (ISO), or independent transmission operator (ITO).^[78] Member states were required to transpose these by March 3, 2011, for electricity and September 3, 2011, for gas, with TSO certification deadlines extending to March 3, 2012, (or later in cases of ownership transfer).^[79] Non-compliance persisted in some nations, such as Germany and Italy for gas TSOs, which missed the 2011 deadline.^[80] Under ownership unbundling, the same legal entity cannot control both a TSO and integrated generation/supply activities, prohibiting shared ownership or rights over the TSO by producers or suppliers.^[81] The ISO model separates system operation from asset ownership, with the ISO managing dispatch and maintenance independently while the owner handles investments under strict oversight.^[82] The ITO model permits the TSO to remain within a vertically integrated undertaking if governance ensures effective independence, including independent directors, no shared incentives with affiliates, and separate information systems.^[83] As of 2024, CEER data indicates 27 EU electricity TSOs operate under OU compared to 8 under ITO, with 27 gas TSOs also OU and 18 ITO, reflecting a preference for stronger separation in larger systems.^[31] Independence is enforced through national regulatory certification, where TSOs demonstrate compliance with unbundling criteria, including autonomous decision-making on network access, tariffs, and investments without influence from affiliated entities.^[84] Regulators monitor ongoing adherence, with provisions for decertification if violations occur, such as undue information sharing or discriminatory practices.^[85] Empirical studies on effectiveness yield mixed results; while some evidence links unbundling to lower retail prices and increased renewable integration via impartial grid access, others find limited long-term impacts on investments or question OU's superiority over ITO in practice, attributing outcomes more to regulatory enforcement than structure alone.^[86] Outside the EU, models vary, with the U.S. emphasizing functional unbundling via FERC orders since 1996, leading to independent ISOs/RTOs without mandatory ownership separation.^[87]

National and Regional Variations

In the European Union, regulatory frameworks for transmission system operators (TSOs) emphasize strict unbundling to prevent conflicts of interest and foster competition, as mandated by the Third Energy Package adopted in 2009. Ownership unbundling requires separation of TSO ownership from generation or supply entities, while alternatives like the independent system operator (ISO) or independent transmission operator (ITO) models allow limited shared ownership under rigorous independence criteria, including certification by national regulatory authorities and oversight by the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). By 2024, most EU member states had implemented full ownership unbundling for major TSOs, with variations in enforcement; for instance, Germany's four TSOs operate under federal oversight with detailed cost-revenue regulations updated in 2025.^[81]^[31]^[88] In contrast, the United States lacks mandatory ownership unbundling, relying instead on functional separation through Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Orders No. 888 (1996) and No. 2000 (1999), which promote voluntary formation of independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs) to ensure non-discriminatory access to transmission grids. As of 2023, seven RTOs/ISOs cover about two-thirds of U.S. electricity load, operated independently but often with utility stakeholders in governance, differing from EU models by permitting vertical integration in non-RTO regions like the Southeast, where investor-owned utilities retain control over transmission. This approach prioritizes market-based incentives over structural divestiture, leading to criticisms of potential biases toward incumbent generators.^[89]^[90]^[91] The United Kingdom, post-Brexit, retains an ownership unbundled model akin to the EU's, with National Grid Electricity Transmission operating as a legally separate entity since privatization in 1990, but has adapted to independent status through the creation of the National Energy System Operator (NESO) in October 2024, approved by Ofgem to enhance system planning without EU directives. New working arrangements with European TSOs, established in 2025, facilitate cross-border cooperation outside ENTSO-E membership, while domestic regulation focuses on grid connection reforms like TMO4+ for faster renewable integration.^[92]^[93] In Asia, TSO frameworks exhibit greater state control and less unbundling uniformity. China's State Grid Corporation, overseeing 80% of transmission as of 2023, integrates planning and operation under central government direction with limited market separation, prioritizing reliability over competition amid rapid electrification. India's Central Electricity Authority coordinates regional TSOs like Power Grid Corporation, with partial unbundling since 2003 but persistent state utility involvement; open access rules facilitate cross-border trade in South Asia per 2015 guidelines. Southeast Asian models, such as in ASEAN nations, feature integrated national operators with emerging least-cost dispatch but minimal unbundling, reflecting developmental priorities over liberalization.^[94]^[95]

Oversight and Compliance Standards

Transmission system operators (TSOs) are subject to stringent oversight by national and regional regulatory authorities to ensure reliability, non-discriminatory access, and compliance with legal mandates such as unbundling. In the European Union, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) provides EU-wide supervision, while the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) coordinates operational standards and network codes developed under regulations like the Electricity Directive (EU) 2019/944, which mandates TSOs to implement compliance programs for measures guaranteeing independence and transparency.^[96] National regulators, such as Ofgem in the UK or BNetzA in Germany, conduct audits and enforce adherence to these frameworks. In the United States, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) oversees interstate transmission through standards of conduct that prohibit undue discrimination by transmission providers affiliated with energy affiliates, as codified in Order No. 717 from 2008 and subsequent amendments.^[97] FERC delegates reliability enforcement to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), whose standards became mandatory for bulk power system operators on June 18, 2007, under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, covering areas like cybersecurity, physical security, and real-time operations.^[98] NERC conducts periodic audits, with non-compliance resulting in penalties up to $1 million per day per violation, as enforced against entities like transmission owners failing to report disturbances.^[97] Compliance requirements emphasize risk-based monitoring, with TSOs required to submit annual reports on system adequacy, investment plans, and incident responses; for instance, ENTSO-E's System Operation Guideline, effective since 2017, sets minimum EU-wide rules for cross-border coordination and frequency management.^[10] In practice, oversight involves both proactive measures, such as ACER's approval of methodologies for cost allocation in 2023, and reactive enforcement, including fines for violations like inadequate unbundling, as seen in cases where TSOs faced multimillion-euro penalties from national bodies for affiliate information sharing.^[99] These standards prioritize empirical grid stability data over policy-driven assumptions, ensuring causal links between operational practices and blackout prevention are rigorously assessed through mandatory modeling and testing protocols.

Challenges and Criticisms

Infrastructure Expansion and Permitting Delays

Transmission system operators (TSOs) face substantial challenges in expanding high-voltage grid infrastructure, primarily due to lengthy permitting processes that involve environmental assessments, public consultations, and multi-jurisdictional approvals. In the United States, federal permitting for new electric transmission lines averages approximately four years, though transmission-specific reviews often extend to 6.5 years or more than a decade in complex cases.^[100]^[101] These delays stem from requirements under laws like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which mandate detailed impact studies, frequently prolonged by litigation from local stakeholders opposing land use or visual impacts.^[102] In Europe, permitting for ultra-high-voltage transmission lines similarly requires 5 to 10 years, exacerbated by fragmented national regulations and EU directives emphasizing biodiversity and landscape preservation. The International Energy Agency identifies permitting as the primary bottleneck for transmission projects in advanced economies, outpacing even supply chain constraints for components like transformers.^[103]^[104] For instance, in California, full planning and construction of bulk transmission projects averages 13 years, with ongoing projects approved before recent plans accruing over five years of delay on average due to regulatory reviews by bodies like the California Public Utilities Commission.^[105]^[106] Such delays have tangible economic and reliability consequences for TSOs. In the US, only 322 miles of high-voltage transmission lines were completed in 2024, the third-slowest year in the past 15, limiting grid capacity amid rising demand from electrification and renewables.^[107] Postponed expansions increase system congestion, elevate curtailment of variable renewable generation, and contribute to higher electricity costs, with some projects facing up to 17 years from siting to operation.^[108]^[109] In response, reforms like the US Department of Energy's 2024 rule aim to shorten federal permitting to two years for major lines, though implementation faces ongoing hurdles from state-level variances and legal challenges.^[110] These bottlenecks underscore how regulatory inertia hampers TSOs' ability to adapt infrastructure to causal demands like intermittent supply integration, prioritizing procedural rigor over timely deployment.

Reliability Risks from Renewable Integration

The integration of high levels of intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, into transmission networks managed by transmission system operators (TSOs) introduces variability in power supply that challenges real-time balancing and resource adequacy. Unlike dispatchable conventional generators, renewables depend on weather conditions, leading to rapid fluctuations in output that can result in reserve shortfalls or energy emergencies during periods of low generation, such as calm winds or reduced solar irradiance. For instance, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)'s 2025 Summer Reliability Assessment identifies elevated risks of reserve shortfalls in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) region in August, driven by declining solar output combined with reduced dispatchable capacity, and potential energy shortfalls in the MRO-SPP area under low wind conditions and high outages.^[111] In Texas' ERCOT grid, evening emergency conditions carry a 3% probability of energy emergency alerts, exacerbated by solar ramp-down despite additions of 7 GW solar and 7.5 GW battery storage.^[111] A core stability risk stems from the displacement of synchronous generators by inverter-based resources (IBRs) from renewables, which provide minimal inherent inertia and can lead to faster frequency deviations following disturbances. System inertia, derived from the rotating masses in conventional turbines, dampens frequency changes; its reduction heightens vulnerability to under-frequency load shedding or cascading failures, as IBRs often lack equivalent synthetic inertia without advanced controls. NERC notes that in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)-California subregion, rising IBR penetration reduces overall system inertia, necessitating additional regulation reserves and increasing reliability risks, with some facilities operating at suboptimal power factors that underutilize reactive power support.^[111] Analysis of disturbances since 2016 reveals nearly 15 GW of unexpected IBR output reductions, often during critical events between 2020 and 2023, underscoring performance gaps in fault ride-through and grid-forming capabilities.^[112] Voltage stability and ramping constraints further compound these issues, particularly in regions with concentrated solar deployment. The "duck curve" observed by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) illustrates midday net load suppression from solar overgeneration—potentially leading to curtailment—followed by steep evening ramps as solar fades against rising demand, straining TSO flexibility and risking supply shortfalls if backup resources are insufficient or delayed.^[113] Globally, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that variable renewable intermittency doubles system flexibility requirements from 2022 to 2030 under climate-aligned scenarios, with congestion costs tripling to $21 billion in the US from 2019 to 2022 due to renewables outpacing grid upgrades, equivalent to forgoing 18.5 GW of solar capacity.^[114] Curtailment rates, reaching 3% (40 TWh) across major markets in 2021, reflect TSO efforts to maintain balance amid these dynamics, though persistent under-forecasting and transmission bottlenecks amplify outage probabilities during extremes.^[114] TSOs mitigate via enhanced interconnections and storage, but NERC assessments project sustained risks in high-renewable areas without accelerated dispatchable capacity or IBR performance upgrades.^[111]

Economic Burdens and Cost Allocation

Transmission system operators (TSOs) shoulder heavy capital and operational costs for developing, maintaining, and upgrading high-voltage infrastructure, including lines, substations, and control systems, which can total billions for national or regional networks. In Europe, for example, Spain's TSO incurred €2.04 billion in grid management expenses in 2023 alone, exceeding its transmission investment outlays and reflecting the strain from balancing intermittent supply. Similarly, Italy's TSO Terna proposed an €11 billion "hypergrid" project in recent years to enhance north-south exchanges amid rising renewable connections. These burdens are exacerbated by the need for extensive reinforcements to integrate remote wind and solar facilities, as variable renewables often generate far from load centers, necessitating longer lines and higher curtailment risks compared to dispatchable sources.^[115]^[116]^[117] Cost recovery mechanisms for TSOs rely on regulated tariffs imposed on grid users, encompassing usage-based charges, capacity fees, and ancillary service levies to ensure full reimbursement of approved expenditures plus a return on investment. In the European Union, national regulators set tariffs under ENTSO-E coordination, with the 2023 overview revealing variations in unit transmission tariffs across 37 countries, often incorporating locational signals or uniform rates while excluding certain renewable support costs recovered separately. Inter-TSO compensation adjusts for cross-border flows, but the territorial principle predominates, where each TSO funds its domestic assets. These tariffs are passed downstream to end-consumers via distribution operators, amplifying household bills; for instance, balancing costs reported by TSOs contribute to overall network charges amid fluctuating renewables.^[118]^[119]^[120]^[121] Allocation of expansion costs remains contentious, with methods like beneficiary-pays—requiring shares proportional to estimated benefits such as congestion relief or reliability gains—aiming for equity but often sparking disputes over quantification and jurisdiction. In analogous U.S. systems under FERC Order No. 1920 (issued May 2024), transmission providers must evaluate seven benefit categories over 20+ years and allocate costs commensurately, defaulting to regional methods unless states negotiate alternatives, though voluntary state funding options exist for non-qualifying projects. Examples include MISO's $10 billion Tranche 1 upgrades using postage-stamp allocation across its footprint, highlighting tensions between regional efficiency and local opposition to subsidizing distant renewables. Such frameworks mitigate free-rider issues but impose upfront burdens on ratepayers, with limited ex post adjustments, potentially deterring investment if benefits prove overstated due to technological or demand shifts.^[122]^[123]^[124]

Coordination with Distribution Operators

Coordination between transmission system operators (TSOs) and distribution system operators (DSOs) is vital for grid stability amid rising distributed energy resources (DERs) and renewables, which generate bidirectional flows, intermittency, and reduced inertia that challenge traditional unidirectional operations.^[125]^[126] These factors necessitate shared flexibility services like voltage control, congestion relief, and frequency reserves, yet persistent silos in operations and markets often result in suboptimal resource utilization.^[125] Key challenges include the lack of standardized protocols and real-time data-sharing mechanisms, which impede coordinated voltage regulation and operational planning; for instance, discrepancies in data granularity and privacy concerns limit effective DER activation without disrupting transmission-level stability.^[125] Regulatory barriers and misaligned incentives further exacerbate issues, as DSOs face constraints in participating in TSO-led markets, leading to inefficiencies in congestion management and higher system costs.^[125] In Europe, a fragmented structure of over 2,500 DSOs overseeing 96% of the grid alongside 30 TSOs amplifies these coordination difficulties, hindering responses to electrification-driven demand growth.^[116] A March 2025 joint TSO-DSO report identifies fundamental gaps in digital infrastructure and solutions as core barriers, including inadequate interoperability for grid modeling and customer integration, which delay the adoption of tools like digital twins despite their potential for enhanced renewables hosting capacity.^[127] Critics argue that without addressing these—through regulatory harmonization and investment in secure data platforms—coordination failures risk amplifying reliability vulnerabilities and economic burdens from underutilized DER flexibility.^[127]^[125]

Recent Developments

Transmission Buildout Initiatives (2023-2025)

In the United States, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order No. 1920 on May 13, 2024, establishing reforms to enhance regional transmission planning by requiring transmission providers to assess needs over a 20-year horizon, incorporate economic and reliability-driven benefits, and implement scenario-based evaluations for future resource integration.^[128] This built on earlier efforts, including FERC's approval of over 500 new transmission projects entering service in 2023, which added capacity amid rising demand from electrification and renewables.^[129] Despite these measures, high-voltage buildout remained limited, with FERC data indicating only about 400 miles of new 345 kV lines and 50 miles of 500 kV lines constructed in 2023, reflecting persistent permitting and coordination challenges.^[107] The U.S. Department of Energy allocated up to $1.3 billion in October 2023 for three interregional transmission lines crossing six states, aimed at expanding capacity to support grid reliability and clean energy deployment.^[130] Regionally, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) approved its 2024-2025 transmission plan on May 22, 2025, endorsing 31 projects to address reliability risks, integrate renewables, and accommodate load growth, with costs estimated in the billions based on updated stakeholder inputs.^[131] These initiatives align with broader federal pushes, such as FERC Order 1920-B in April 2025, which clarified cost allocation and long-term planning to accelerate infrastructure deployment.^[132] In Europe, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) advanced its Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) in January 2025, identifying 178 transmission projects and 33 storage initiatives as critical for the 2023-2030 period, including cross-border expansions to reach 108 GW of additional capacity by 2040, with incremental buildout underway in 2023-2025 to integrate offshore wind and reduce curtailments.^[133] National TSOs, such as those in Germany and the UK, reported progress on high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines and substation upgrades, though actual completions lagged plans due to supply chain issues and regulatory hurdles.^[104] The European Commission released guidance on June 2, 2025, promoting anticipatory investments in forward-looking networks to preempt demand surges from electrification, estimating annual grid investments surpassing $70 billion by late 2025—double the levels from a decade prior.^[134]^[135] Globally, transmission investments rose 10% in 2023 to support renewable scaling, but ENTSO-E and U.S. regional operators highlighted that 2023-2025 buildout volumes—averaging under 1% annual grid expansion in key markets—fall short of requirements for net-zero pathways, with 1,650 GW of delayed solar and wind projects awaiting connections as of 2024.^[104]^[136] These efforts underscore TSOs' focus on HVDC technologies and interregional coordination, though empirical data from FERC and ENTSO-E reveal execution gaps driven by siting delays and cost uncertainties rather than planning deficiencies.^[137]

Technological and Policy Innovations

Transmission system operators (TSOs) have increasingly adopted advanced transmission technologies (ATTs), including reconductoring with high-temperature low-sag conductors and dynamic line rating systems, which optimize existing infrastructure to increase capacity without new construction. These technologies enable lines to carry up to four times more power under certain conditions by accounting for real-time environmental factors like wind and temperature, potentially quadrupling U.S. transmission capacity projections by 2035 if widely deployed.^[138]^[139] In Europe, TSOs are integrating real-time monitoring and AI-driven sensors for predictive maintenance and congestion management, reducing outage risks and enhancing grid stability amid variable renewable inputs.^[104] Such innovations, including high-voltage direct current (HVDC) upgrades and advanced power flow control devices, address physical limits of alternating current lines, with pilot projects demonstrating capacity boosts of 20-50% on retrofitted segments.^[140] Policy frameworks have evolved to incentivize these technologies, with the European Union's 2023 Grid Action Plan mandating TSOs to accelerate deployment of digital tools and cross-border interconnections for efficient renewable integration, targeting a 15% improvement in grid utilization by 2030.^[141] In the United States, over 15 states enacted legislation by 2025 to require utilities to evaluate ATTs in planning processes, streamlining permitting for upgrades like grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) that avoid full line replacements.^[142] The U.S. Department of Energy's 2023 National Transmission Needs Study emphasized alternative transmission solutions, including software-based optimization, to meet rising demand while minimizing land use and costs.^[143] Collaborative initiatives, such as the TSO Innovation Alliance launched in July 2025 by major European operators like TenneT and Amprion, foster shared R&D on emerging technologies like superconducting cables and automated flexibility markets, aiming to standardize benchmarking for system-wide efficiency gains.^[144] These efforts complement TSO-DSO coordination policies, which by 2025 include standardized protocols for voltage and frequency control to leverage distributed resources, as outlined in peer-reviewed assessments of multi-operator interactions.^[125] Despite these advances, implementation faces hurdles from regulatory fragmentation, with empirical data indicating that policy alignment could unlock an additional 10-20% in grid performance through unified data-sharing mandates.^[141]

Responses to Demand Growth from Electrification

Transmission system operators (TSOs) have responded to escalating electricity demand from electrification—driven by electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps, and industrial processes—through accelerated grid expansion, enhanced forecasting, and demand-side flexibility programs. In the United States, PJM Interconnection's 2025 Long-Term Load Forecast projects a 70,000 MW increase in summer peak demand to 220,000 MW over the next 15 years, attributing much of this growth to electrification alongside data centers and manufacturing resurgence.^[145] Similarly, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) anticipates peak summer demand reaching 150 GW by 2030, with 50 GW from large-load interconnections including electrified industrial facilities.^[146] These forecasts have prompted TSOs to prioritize transmission buildout, as studies indicate it offers the lowest-cost pathway to integrate new loads, potentially saving tens of billions compared to localized generation alternatives.^[147] In Europe, TSOs coordinated via ENTSO-E emphasize demand-side flexibility to mitigate peak loads from EVs and heat pumps, with over 480 time-varying tariffs and services enabling consumers to shift usage via smart charging and thermal storage.^[148] Aggregators pool distributed resources like EV batteries and heat pumps to provide grid services, meeting minimum bid sizes of 1 MW in markets such as Germany and France.^[149] This approach complements network reinforcement, as rapid electrification necessitates faster TSO and distribution system operator (DSO) expansions to connect batteries and industrial loads without exacerbating congestion.^[150] Globally, the International Energy Agency (IEA) underscores the need for 80 million kilometers of additional grid lines by 2040 to support electrification under net-zero scenarios, requiring annual investments to double from current levels amid supply chain constraints for components like transformers.^[151] TSOs are adapting by streamlining interconnection processes, as seen in U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order No. 2023, which reforms queues ballooned by electrification-driven projects.^[152] However, permitting delays and rising costs—exacerbated by copper demand doubling—pose risks, with TSOs advocating for policy reforms to accelerate high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines and interconnections for efficient load balancing.^[136]^[153] These measures aim to maintain reliability, though empirical data from regions like PJM highlight that under-forecasting load growth prior to 2023 led to reactive planning adjustments.^[154]

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[PDF] Ownership Unbundling of Gas Transmission Networks - EconStor
To date, no empirical study has isolated the effect of ownership unbundling and evaluated its long-run effect on natural gas retail prices.
[87]
Assessment of Power Transmission and Distribution Unbundling (1 ...
Dec 4, 2024 · Legal unbundling is a compromise measure, but it is likely to be reasonably effective provided that there is “adequate regulation of conduct.” ...Missing: mandates | Show results with:mandates
[88]
Regulatory Framework for Transmission System Operators in Germany
Aug 18, 2025 · Transmission system operators (TSOs) in Germany are subject to extensive regulatory requirements, which are primarily governed by the Energy ...Missing: variations | Show results with:variations
[89]
[PDF] Ownership Unbundling of Electricity Distribution Networks
The European Commission states that transmission ownership separation is the preferred option3. FERC (US federal regulator) implemented open access to ...
[90]
[PDF] SYSTEM OPERATORS: LESSONS FROM US AND EU ENERGY ...
The starting point was the principle that transmission companies operating under FERC jurisdiction (i.e. companies with inter-State transmission) had to allow ...<|separator|>
[91]
[PDF] REGULATION AND LIBERALIZATION OF THE EUROPEAN ...
The FERC promoted the formation of. Independent System Operators (ISOs, Order No. 888) and later Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs,. Order No. 2000), ...<|separator|>
[92]
Energy Regulatory Update (UK) – July | DLA Piper
Aug 20, 2025 · Under the National Energy System Operator's (NESO's) reformed grid connections process, known as TMO4+, which was approved by Ofgem on 15 ...
[93]
New Working Arrangements with UK Transmission System Operators
Jul 17, 2025 · While UK TSOs are no longer members of ENTSO-E due to Brexit, the WAs provide a pragmatic and forward-looking framework to ensure that strong ...Missing: regulation | Show results with:regulation
[94]
[PDF] China Power System Transformation | OECD
Changes to market, policy, and regulatory frameworks are crucial for unlocking flexibility. • Establishment of spot markets and trade between provinces are two ...
[95]
[PDF] Electricity market designs in Southeast Asia - Agora Energiewende
System operators in all four countries use least-cost dispatch models. The ... integrated transmission system operator (TSO) and two integrated ...
[96]
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32019L0944
[97]
Standards of Conduct for Transmission Providers
The Standards of Conduct for Transmission Providers Include Three Primary Rules. On March 19, 2015, FERC issued Order No. 807 amending its regulations.
[98]
Electric Reliability Compliance Standards - JEA
On June 18, 2007, compliance with NERC Reliability Standards became mandatory for U.S. users, owners and operators of the Bulk Power System. Entities that ...
[99]
[PDF] REGULATION AND STANDARDS FOR A RESILIENT EUROPEAN ...
Feb 15, 2023 · How to better factor in resilience in regulatory models for energy network operators is the central question investigated in our project. 15 ...
[100]
Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorizations and Permits ...
On average, Federal permitting for a new electric transmission line takes approximately four years. Many factors can contribute to lengthy transmission ...
[101]
[PDF] U.S. Permitting Delays Hold Back Economy, Cost Jobs
However, the industry was held back due to various challenges, including permitting issues. In 2023, more than 60,000 MW of capacity experienced delays.<|separator|>
[102]
Contextualizing electric transmission permitting: data from 2010 to ...
Mar 18, 2024 · Permitting review timelines average 4.3 years, ranging from a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 11 years. Projected growth in transmission, ...
[103]
How underinvestment and delays in grid development are costing ...
May 12, 2025 · In the EU and the US, securing approval to build ultra-high-voltage transmission lines typically takes five to ten years. By contrast, in ...
[104]
Executive summary – Building the Future Transmission Grid - IEA
Permitting remains the primary cause of delays in transmission projects, particularly in advanced economies, but supply of cables, transformers, materials and ...
[105]
How Long Does It Take to Permit and Build Transmission to Meet ...
The planning and construction of a new bulk transmission project takes an estimated average of 13 years, and probably longer in the future.
[106]
[PDF] Transmission Development in California – What's the Slowdown?
Ongoing projects approved before this plan with anticipated costs exceeding $50 million have accrued, on average, more than five years of delay. The length of ...
[107]
New Report Reveals U.S. Transmission Buildout Lagging Far ...
Jul 21, 2025 · In 2024, just 322 miles of high-voltage transmission lines were completed, marking the third slowest year for such construction in the past 15 ...
[108]
[PDF] Power Delayed: Economic Effects of Electricity Transmission and ...
May 14, 2025 · Delaying the build-out of energy infrastructure also increases system congestion and thereby reduces the resilience and reliability of the grid.
[109]
Politicized energy policies aren't working, but a better system is ...
Sep 13, 2024 · Some transmission lines have taken 17 years to complete the siting and permitting process. Thousands of gigawatts of low-cost clean energy are ...
[110]
DOE Finalized New Rule for Federal Permitting of Transmission Lines
May 1, 2024 · By cutting the average four-year permitting process down to two years, DOE's rule will streamline federal permitting of major transmission lines ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[111]
None
Summary of each segment:
[112]
NERC Report: North American Grid Reliable in 2024 ... - T&D World
Jun 16, 2025 · NERC's analysis of 10 major disturbances since 2016 found nearly 15 GW of unexpected reductions in IBR output, with most occurring between 2020 ...
[113]
[PDF] What the duck curve tells us about managing a green grid
The "duck curve" shows a "belly" in the mid-afternoon and an "arch" in the evening, representing the difference between forecasted load and variable generation ...
[114]
[PDF] Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions - NET
This report offers a global stocktake of the world's electricity grids as they stand today, taking a detailed look at grid infrastructure, connection queues, ...
[115]
Putting the mission in transmission: Grids for Europe's energy ...
Mar 13, 2024 · The report analyses data related to national electricity transmission networks across 35 European countries (EU-27, Norway, Switzerland, UK and ...
[116]
[PDF] Making the EU electricity grid fit for net-zero emissions
Apr 1, 2025 · The Italian TSO (Terna), has proposed an €11 billion project (the “hypergrid”) to boost electricity exchanges between northern and southern ...
[117]
[PDF] The Integration Costs of Wind and Solar Power - Agora Energiewende
Feb 11, 2016 · Curtailment of vRES can also reduce significantly grid costs, while increasing slightly generation costs. Page 9. Calculating grid costs due to ...
[118]
ENTSO-E publishes its annual Overview of Transmission Tariffs in ...
Jun 20, 2025 · The report analyzes transmission tariffs in 37+ European countries, using a "Unit Transmission Tariff" (UTT) based on a standardized base case, ...Missing: examples | Show results with:examples
[119]
[PDF] Overview of Transmission Tariffs in Europe: Synthesis 2023 - NET
Charges related to TSO activities are coloured in light blue (132 – 50 kV), yellow (220 – 150 kV) and red (330 kV and above), whereas other regulatory charges.
[120]
[PDF] CROSS-BORDER COST ALLOCATION FOR ELECTRICITY ... - cerre
The territorial principle, where each transmission system operator (TSO) pays for infrastructure within the borders of its own country, remains the most common ...
[121]
[PDF] Electricity Balancing Cost Report 2025 - entso-e
All transmission system operators (TSOs) report to the regulatory authorities on the costs of establishing, amending and operating the European balancing ...Missing: examples | Show results with:examples
[122]
Explainer on the Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation Final ...
In terms of cost allocation, transmission providers may propose their own cost allocation method for selected right-sized replacement transmission facilities.Missing: burdens | Show results with:burdens
[123]
Assessing Electric Transmission's Cost Allocation Dilemma - CSIS
Oct 6, 2023 · Permitting is only part of the challenge for transmission. Cost, and how do we decide who pays, is technically and politically complex.Missing: burdens | Show results with:burdens
[124]
Transmission benefits and cost allocation under ambiguity
Disputes over cost allocation can present a significant barrier to investment in shared infrastructure. While it may be desirable to allocate cost in a way ...
[125]
Assessment of TSO-DSO Coordination to Enhance Flexible Grid ...
Jul 12, 2025 · The study by [14] offers a systematic review of TSO-DSO coordination for renewable energy integration, outlining best practices and ...
[126]
Needs, challenges and opportunities of TSO-DSO coordination
This shift toward distributed and renewable electricity supply poses challenges to both the TSO and DSO; however, it also encourages exploitation of less ...
[127]
Report TSO-DSO Challenges & Opportunities for Digital Electricity ...
Mar 6, 2025 · The report underscores the critical need for digitalisation to enhance grid operation, planning, and customer integration.
[128]
Transmission Planning Reforms Finalized in FERC Order No. 1920
May 14, 2024 · Transmission providers must use a 20-year planning horizon for projected new resources (expanded from the prior 3- to 5-year timeline).
[129]
FERC State of the Market Report: The Need for Transmission
Mar 27, 2024 · The U.S. saw more than 500 new transmission projects entering service in 2023, according to data from C3 Group LLC. These projects produced ...Missing: buildout | Show results with:buildout
[130]
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $1.3 Billion to Build Out ...
Oct 31, 2023 · The US Department of Energy (DOE) today announced up to a $1.3 billion commitment in three transmission lines crossing six states.Missing: FERC | Show results with:FERC
[131]
ISO Board of Governors approves 2024-2025 transmission plan
May 22, 2025 · The California Independent System Operator Board of Governors has approved the ISO's 2024-2025 transmission plan, recommending 31 infrastructure projects.Missing: 2023-2025 | Show results with:2023-2025
[132]
Electric Transmission | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Commission has established rules to bolster investment in the nation's transmission infrastructure, and to promote electric power reliability and lower ...Missing: functions | Show results with:functions
[133]
New Ten-Year Network Development Plan highlights ... - entso-e
Jan 31, 2025 · ENTSO-E's draft TYNDP shows the strategic electricity infrastructure investments that ensure that Europe's energy system can meet the EU's and Member States ...
[134]
EU guidance on ensuring electricity grids are fit for the future
Jun 2, 2025 · The Commission has presented today a Guidance document on anticipatory investments for developing forward-looking electricity networks.Missing: expansion | Show results with:expansion<|separator|>
[135]
Investment is needed to upgrade Europe's electricity grids
Sep 23, 2025 · The International Energy Agency estimates that Europe's annual grid spending will top $70 billion by 2025, double that of a decade ago. Yet grid ...
[136]
[PDF] Building the Future Transmission Grid - NET
This document was developed under the Regulatory Energy Transition. Accelerator (RETA) initiative, which aims to enhance the capacity of regulators to increase ...<|separator|>
[137]
[PDF] FEWER NEW MILES | Grid Strategies
After a historically slow year for transmission development in 2023, the pace of new high-voltage construction improved slightly in 2024, though it remains the ...
[138]
2025 Power and Utilities Industry Outlook | Deloitte Insights
Dec 9, 2024 · In 2025, utilities, policymakers, and data center operators will likely collaborate to balance priorities such as grid upgrades, renewable ...
[139]
Advanced Transmission Technologies Can Help States Meet ...
Jan 15, 2025 · ATTs are a suite of software and hardware technologies that boost the capacity of transmission lines to carry more electricity.
[140]
How Advanced Transmission Technologies Can Modernize the US ...
Jul 10, 2025 · Deploying advanced transmission technologies can modernize the U.S. power grid and speed the clean energy transition, faster than building ...Missing: innovations | Show results with:innovations
[141]
How do electricity TSOs embrace innovation to future-proof their role ...
It promotes advanced technologies for better grid management, renewable integration, and system efficiency. The 2023 EU Grid Action Plan aims to stimulate TSO ...
[142]
https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2025/10/21/as-utah-begins-modernizing-its-electric-grid-other-states-should-follow-suit
[143]
[PDF] National Transmission Needs Study - Department of Energy
Extreme conditions and high-value periods play an outsized role in the value of transmission, with 50% of transmission congestion value coming from only 5% of ...
[144]
Launch of the TSO Innovation Alliance - TenneT
Jul 1, 2025 · The new TSO Innovation Alliance, bringing together leading European Transmission System Operators to drive innovation in the electricity sector.
[145]
2025 Long-Term Load Forecast Report Predicts Significant Increase ...
Jan 30, 2025 · According to the forecast, released Jan. 24, PJM expects its summer peak to climb about 70,000 MW, to 220,000 MW over the next 15 years.Missing: ERCOT responses
[146]
US seasonal power outlooks Summer 2025: hot topics for ERCOT ...
Jun 9, 2025 · By 2030, ERCOT projects peak summer demand to push 150 GW, with 50 GW of that expected to come from large-load interconnections. Constant load ...
[147]
[PDF] Strategic Industries Surging: Driving US Power Demand
Investing in large-scale transmission is the lowest-cost way to address load growth and could save tens of billions of dollars in bringing on the new 128 GW of ...
[148]
Imagine all the people - Regulatory Assistance Project
Nov 4, 2024 · In a new survey we found 480 tariffs and services that allow Europeans to adapt their EV or heat pump to (static or dynamic) time-varying energy and grid ...
[149]
[PDF] FLEXIBILITY IN THE ENERGY SECTOR - cerre
May 19, 2025 · Aggregators pool smaller distributed energy resources - heat pumps and batteries (including EVs) - to meet the market's minimum bid size of 1 MW ...<|separator|>
[150]
Demand-based pricing stabilizes the electricity market of the future
Feb 28, 2024 · TSOs and DSOs need to expand their network more quickly to allow batteries and industrial use cases to connect. Renewable generators do not ...
[151]
Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions – Analysis - IEA
Oct 17, 2023 · This new IEA special report, Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions, offers a first-of-its-kind global stocktake of the world's grids as they stand ...
[152]
New Energy Market Regulations and Trends in 2025
May 1, 2025 · FERC Order 2023 looks to reform and streamline grid interconnection processes, which have ballooned to unprecedented levels in recent years ...
[153]
Building the Future Transmission Grid – Analysis - IEA
Feb 25, 2025 · This report explores the evolving landscape of investment in electricity transmission networks and key trends related to the supply chain of key components.
[154]
[PDF] 2025 - PJM Long-Term Load Forecast Report
Jan 24, 2025 · Winter Peak Load Growth – PJM RTO Projected to average 3.8% per year over the next 10-year period, and 2.4% over the next 20 years.Missing: ERCOT | Show results with:ERCOT