Commission for Energy Regulation
The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is the independent body responsible for overseeing the liberalisation of Ireland's energy sector. The CER was initially established and granted regulatory powers over the electricity market under the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999. The Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act, 2002 expanded the CER’s jurisdiction to include regulation of the natural gas market. The Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006, which was signed into law in December 2006, extends the statutory responsibilities of the CER with regard to gas and electrical safety.
The CER’s mission statement is as follows:
In a world where energy supply and prices are highly volatile, the mission of the CER, acting in the interests of consumers, is to ensure that:
· the lights stay on
· the gas continues to flow
· the prices charged are fair and reasonable
· the environment is protected, and
· electricity and gas are supplied safely
Duties & Functions
The CER was established under the provisions of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and has taken on significant additional responsibilities since then under various pieces of legislation. Responsibility for the regulation of the natural gas market was conferred upon the CER under the Gas (Interim) Regulation Act, 2002. More recently, the Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 added to the role and functions of the CER, including providing for additional responsibilities in gas and electrical safety. The Electricity Regulation Amendment (SEM) Act, 2007 outlined the CER’s functions in relation to the Single Electricity Market (SEM) for the island of Ireland. This market is regulated by the CER and the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (Utility Regulator). Expand for Safety and LPG legislation
The CER’s statutory duties include that it must promote: competition in gas and electricity markets; safety on the part of electricity and natural gas undertakings; the continuity, security and quality of supplies of electricity and natural gas; and renewable, sustainable or alternative forms of energy.
The CER must also take account of the need to: protect the environment; encourage efficient use and production of electricity; take account of the needs of rural customers, the disadvantaged and the elderly. The CER must also take account of the rights of customers, particularly household customers and small enterprises, to be supplied with electricity to a specified quality at reasonable, easily and clearly comparable and transparent prices.
The functions of the CER can be summarised as follows:
· Ensuring sufficient capacity in the electricity and gas systems to satisfy reasonable demands for supply of natural gas and electricity;
· Protecting the interests of final customers including the disadvantaged, the elderly and those residing in rural areas;
· Promoting competition in supply of electricity and natural gas and electricity generation;
· Ensuring no unfair discrimination between applicants for or holders of licences, consents and authorisations or between them and State-owned operators;
· Promoting the continuity, security and quality of supplies and encouraging safety and
efficiency in undertakings and by end users;
· Monitoring security of electricity and gas supplies and taking appropriate action to ensure satisfactory margins between supply and demand;
· Ensuring licence and authorisation holders are capable of financing their activities;
· Setting standards, enforcing compliance, settling disputes, controlling and monitoring performance and reporting regularly on these activities;
· Promoting research and the use of sustainable forms of energy that reduce or are free of
greenhouse gas emissions as well as adopting measures to protect the natural environment in all the sectors’ activities;
· Advising government on the development and regulation of the gas and electricity sectors;
· Regulating the activities of electrical contractors with respect to safety;
· Regulating the activities of natural gas undertakings and natural gas installers with respect to safety;
· Promoting the safety of natural gas customers and the public generally as respects the supply storage, transmission, distribution and use of natural gas
· Establishing and implementing a natural gas safety framework;
· Establishing and implementing a risk-based petroleum safety framework.
Organisation
The CER is headed by up to three Commissioners at any one time. During 2010 the Commissioners were Michael G. Tutty, Chairman, and Dermot Nolan and Garrett Blaney, with Garrett being appointed Commissioner in February 2010.
The CER is made up of six Divisions, headed up by four Directors.
Further information on the Commission for Energy Regulation can be found on its website http://www.cer.ie/.