How will the liberalised energy market increase security of supply? Will it help prevent blackouts or gas supply interruptions?
The new measures will mean big improvements for security of supply. The operators of the main gas and electricity transportation networks will have an obligation to cooperate, not only to make access to the European networks easier, but also to make the operation of the network less vulnerable to interruptions and emergency situations. The European networks of transmission system operators – one for electricity and one for gas – are required to cooperate and coordinate the operation of their networks, through the exchange of operational information and the development of common safety and emergency standards and procedures. Cooperation in emergency situations is more pertinent in electricity since it travels faster than gas, but coordination is needed for both. This should ensure that small local accidents as seen in the North East German electricity network in November 2006 do not create a major European supply interruption.
