• Type General news
  • Date 1 October 2020

A Joint Webinar with the EU-GCC Addressed the Role of Transmission System Operators

On Monday, 28 September, the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) organized with the Clean Energy Network (EU-GCC ) a webinar entitled “Future roles of system operators in facilitating the energy transition and optimizing renewable energy utilization,” in order to review the impacts of evolving system operator models and how they support the delivery of emerging technologies such as distributed generation, energy storage and EVs.

The webinar brought together local and international energy economics experts to discuss the role of transmission system operators (TSOs), and the different models that are appearing in terms of separating system operations from owners of transmission assets is beginning to become clearer.

The participants discussed the roles of TSOs and DSOs, and the importance of developing suitable regulatory frameworks to harness the potential of distributed flexibility in the grid. As a number of countries in GCC/MENA region are aspiring to move toward a decarbonized electricity sector, it is time to think about developing a compatible market arrangement and integrate it as part of their reform initiatives.

The webinar comes in the context of KAPSARC’s energy webinar series, while the center focuses through its research programs on Energy and Macroeconomics, Transport and Urban Infrastructure, Energy Markets and Industrial Development, Energy Transitions and Electric Power, Policy and Decision Science, and Climate and Environment. In addition to these programs and workshops, the center also seeks to publish the summary and recommendations of these workshops on KAPSARC’s website.

The workshops held by KAPSARC are an interactive and participatory platform that brings together stakeholders, experts and specialists in energy and economics. The center collaborates with a number of global research centers, public policy organizations, government and industrial institutions to share knowledge, analyses and recommendations aimed at improving the welfare of societies locally and globally.