School of Law

The Great Energy Transition in the European Union

Professor Rafael Leal-Arcas has just published a two-volume book with the findings of his WiseGRID research grant, funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 program

1 June 2020

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Professor Rafael Leal-Arcas, Jean Monnet Chair holder in EU International Economic Law at Queen Mary University of London, has published a 900-page book that comprises two volumes of research that provide a comprehensive analysis of the energy transition in the European Union.

This book is the outcome of 42 months of research in the framework of the WiseGRID project (number 731205), granted to Professor Leal-Arcas by the European Union and funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Professor Rafael Leal-Arcas served as a Principal Investigator in this project, responsible for the legal dimension of the project.

Short summary of the book

This book examines the status of the energy transition in the European Union (EU). It provides a thorough analysis of energy decentralization in the EU. It discusses why it is in the EU’s interest to decentralize its energy markets and analyzes the situation in several EU member states. The book specifically focuses on electricity markets and looks at how decentralization is taking shape with regard to these markets. In doing so, it analyzes the regulatory environment in several EU jurisdictions to identify to what extent it is conducive to decentralization. It looks at how things stand in terms of new tools and technologies to facilitate decentralization, such as smart grids and meters, electric vehicles, demand response, and storage. The book explores how specific EU member states are progressing towards deployment of these tools and technologies, and the specific needs and regulatory barriers in each. It also offers recommendations for how regulation can be more encouraging. The book in addition discusses electricity interconnections in the EU as a vital step towards decentralization that will boost energy security and energy efficiency. Lastly, the book includes a detailed examination of data protection concerns that arise from the advent of new technologies that collect personal information, such as smart grids. It assesses current regulation on data protection and identifies areas for improvement.