Basic Legal Principles for International Electric Power Interconnections

: Regional Perspectives to foster their Worldwide Application

Abstract

There is a need for cleaner sources for electricity generation that allow the global achievement of climate change mitigation while increasing security of supply, meaning a broader use of renewables as primary sources, requiring the availability of more and/or updated power transmission lines, considering the characteristics, locations, and costs of these generation projects. Hence, cross-border power interconnections help to maximise power produced from renewable resources, as they make their generation available to different jurisdictions, allowing savings when compared to national-based solutions. Cross border power interconnections are not new, and they have been used since the early 20th century, when the technology was available, albeit there was a certain lack of support. Currently, there are several worldwide attempts to interconnect different electricity markets, including Canada and the United States, the European Union’s internal market, Australia's National Electricity Market, the Central American Electrical Interconnection System, and the Andean Electrical Interconnection System in South America, among others. Nonetheless, the development and operation of cross-border power interconnections raise several considerations, from both national and international points of view. Therefore, energy law might become a vehicle that allow to identify some common principles for the development and operation of cross-border power interconnections that address these considerations.

The purpose of this research is to find an answer to whether it is possible to identify common legal principles to facilitate the development and operation of cross-border power interconnections, considering that the achievement of climate change mitigation goals requires the maximisation of renewable generation, while enhancing and guaranteeing security of supply at both national and international levels. The analysis is based on a doctrinal and non-doctrinal analysis complemented with comparative legal analysis in the form of two case studies: Canada – United States, and European Union. The research found that cross-border power interconnections are possible from a technical and an economic point of view, and established the main characteristics within different legal frameworks for the development of cross-border power interconnections. In addition, the research identified the requirements to be considered when planning and developing legal frameworks for cross-border interconnections, particularly six legal principles that are paramount in the studied cases and are applicable to any interconnection initiative around the world.

Date of Award	2019
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Dundee
Supervisor	Stephen Dow (Supervisor) & Ariel Bergmann (Supervisor)