Author: Ana Filipa Santos

ALSF and RELOP hosted their second joint legal webinar, this time dedicated to “Drafting Regulations”. The training, which was held on December 12, 2023 and attended by more than 40 participants, provided an in-depth analysis of relevant aspects related to the design of normative acts.

The event, conducted virtually in Portuguese, was moderated by Indira Gomes of the ALSF.

The session was divided into three themes, where participants were guided through a comprehensive analysis of the topic. The discussion involved critical aspects such as legal empowerment, systematization, identification of legal ability, impact assessment, and terms and consultation deadline with interested parties. Evandro Pereira Caldas from Brazil’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP), Marisa Vaz Cunha and José Francisco Veiga from Portugal’s Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE), and Hermenegildo Pereira from the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau all contributed to the discussion.

We reaffirm our continued commitment to promoting knowledge exchange among Portuguese speakers. The ALSF-RELOP webinar series will continue to be exclusively in Portuguese, and stands out as a valuable platform for enriching knowledge in the legal and energy sectors in Lusophone Africa. We are grateful to all of the speakers and attendees for making this session a success. We hope that these conversations will foster a positive dialogue in advance of our upcoming sessions, strengthening regional energy sector regulation.

We are pleased to announce that RELOP has joined the International Confederation of Energy Regulators (ICER).

RELOP’s application was unanimously accepted at the ICER Steering Committee meeting, which took place on 9 November. The application was presented at the meeting by RELOP’s president, Luis Fernandes.

Reinforcing our commitment to ICER’s mission, we share the vision of improving public and policy-makers’ awareness and understanding of energy regulation and its crucial role in addressing various socio-economic, environmental and market issues.

This partnership between RELOP and ICER opens doors to meaningful discussions on current energy challenges and the joint search for solutions. ICER represents a voluntary collaboration between energy regulators from around the world, with the aim of increasing public understanding and decision-making on energy regulation and its overarching role in socio-economic, environmental and market issues. By facilitating the sharing of information and best practices, ICER seeks to contribute to the global transition towards more sustainable energy practices.

To find out more about ICER, visit: http://icer-regulators.net/

RELOP’s 18th General Assembly was held on 8 November 2023, on the island of Sal, Cape Verde, with the participation of the Association’s twelve members.

During the meeting, led by Symone Araújo, the General Assembly Chair and representative of Brazil’s National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), the Activities and Budget Plan for 2024 received unanimous approval. Additionally, the proposed initiatives for its implementation were introduced and discussed.

In terms of institutional relations, aimed at fostering cooperation and exchanging experiences, RELOP’s General Assembly members endorsed the Association’s membership in the International Confederation of Energy Regulators and the protocol with the Regional Association of Emerging Countries.

The election of RELOP’s new leadership was a highlight of the Assembly. The voting process resulted in Mozambique’s Energy Regulatory Authority (ARENE) being appointed as the Chair of the General Assembly for the 2024-2025 biennium, Brazil’s National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) as the Chair of the Board, and Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) as Chair of the Supervisory Board.

For 2024 year, Brazil will be responsible for organizing the RELOP Conference and General Assembly, in collaboration between ANEEL and ANP.

Mark your calendars for the XIV RELOP Conference on Energy Vector Integration: 9 November 2023, from 08h30 to 16h30. While the event takes place in Sal, Cape Verde, you can still be a part of the debate no matter where you are. We are excited to announce that the Conference will be live-streamed on the RELOP YouTube channel, allowing you to tune in and catch all the insights and discussions in real time. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to engage with energy experts and visionaries from around the world. Save the date and join us online!

Watch the live stream here: ARME – Agência Reguladora Multissectorial da Economia | Praia | Facebook

RELOP was present at the 8^th edition of the World Forum on Energy Regulation (WFER), which took place between 22 and 25 August in Lima, Peru. The Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) took part in several panels on renewable energy, the role of regulators in the energy transition process, energy access, and consumer energy empowerment.

The Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) took part in the panel on the independence of the regulator and energy planning, and one of its representatives was awarded the ICER prize. The National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency also took part in the debate on regulatory reforms.

The WFER, held within the framework of ICER – the International Confederation of Energy Regulators, is the main international event on energy regulation. This meeting brings together key players and representatives from more than 40 countries on five continents in the energy industry, including high-level decision-makers, academics, and more than 200 regulators from all over the world, with the aim of debating energy strategies in various regulatory systems.

RELOP is honoured to announce the winner of the 2022 Maria Cristina Portugal Award.

The panel of judges has also chosen to grant two honourable mentions to entries that have earned recognition for their valuable contributions to the discourse on energy transition in developing nations.

The RELOP Board received and validated a total of 10 applications, all meeting the eligibility criteria for competition entry. These submissions were thoroughly reviewed by the competition jury, composed of the following individuals appointed by the RELOP board:

• Professor Vítor Santos, Full Professor at the Lisbon School of Economics and Management at the University of Lisbon (ISEG);
• Professor António Chivanga Barros, Full Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Technologies and Sciences (ISPTEC);
• Dr. Renato Lima, Consultant at the State Business Sector Monitoring Unit (UASE) and Advisor for Regulation at the Cape Verde Ministry of Finance.

RELOP is pleased to announce that the recipient of the Maria Cristina Portugal Prize 2022 is:

Márcio Roselli from Brazil’s National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) for his outstanding work entitled, “Economic Evaluation of the Energy Transition in Electricity Distribution Systems.”

Roselli’s article undertakes a scenario analysis of the energy transition’s impact on the operational and expansion costs of electricity distribution networks within the 2030 timeframe. The study presents an innovative model founded on dynamic tariffs, offering a novel perspective for the regulation of distributions networks.

Additionally, RELOP extends a congratulations to the two honourable mention recipients:

• Mário Fernandes Alfredo from Angola´s National Oil, Gas, and Biofuels Agency, for his piece entitled, “Angola, Guidelines for the Energy Transition.”

The work provides a comprehensive overview of identifying opportunities and establishing guidelines for Angola’s energy transition. The article recommends maximizing the identified opportunities through investments in infrastructures for renewable energy exploration, production, and storage, advocating for a gradual shift away from fossil fuels.

– Vita Mateso, also from Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency, for his contribution entitled, “Energy Transition: Challenges and Opportunities for Angola.”

This article examines the energy transition in Angola, outlining both the challenges and opportunities within the context of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The piece underscores the significance of fossil fuels in the country’s economy while emphasizing the need to accelerate the energy transition in parallel with industrial sector development, particularly in the realm of biofuels.

RELOP congratulates all of the candidates for the exceptional quality of their work!

Between 2 and 5 May 2023, an intensive training session on the theme “Indicators of quality of service and economic and financial performance of regulated companies” was held at ERSE – Energy Services Regulatory Authority, which brought together regulators from five countries in Lisbon, Portugal.

The intensive training session was attended by 19 participants from four RELOP regulators from Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde and Mozambique and by experts from several areas of ERSE activity.

Different regulatory themes were addressed, such as economic and financial performance indicators, technical service quality, commercial service quality, management tools and internal planning, regulatory powers and support to consumers.

The training developed involved various ERSE organic units committed to the cooperation and sharing of knowledge among the participants.