What is it about?
The ENTSOs' Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) methodologies should allow a neutral comparison between the costs of infrastructure projects with their expected benefits, in order to inform decision-makers. The CBA methodologies are useful tools for assessing the projects' merits, and therefore guiding the PCIs selection process first; and later the NRAs to take decisions on investment requests and cross-border cost allocation.
The ENTSOs have also presented an interlinked electricity and gas market and network model which should be incorporated as a future part of the CBA methodologies. A truly interlinked model will allow to study the electricity and gas energy system and network development options in a holistic way and capture the interdependencies between both sectors, leading to a more efficient network planning. The implementation of an ambitious interlinked model has gained momentum given that energy sector integration ranks high in the European agenda.
What's the role of ACER?
ACER provides Opinions on each draft cost-benefit analysis methodologies developed by the ENTSOs, as well as the interlinked model, and may request the process for CBA updates.
Unit Investment Cost
ACER provides a cooperation framework for NRAs to establish and publish a set of indicators and corresponding reference values for the comparison of unit investment costs for projects of gas and electricity infrastructure, which could be used in CBA analysis.
