The Law for Energy Prosumers The Case of the Netherlands, New Zealand and Colombia

This book argues that law has a vital role in shaping the electricity system to enable a more active role for consumers in liberalizsed electricity industries. To do that, this book offers a unique legal perspective of the Netherlands, New Zealand and Colombia to help understand some of the current legal approaches to prosumers and therefore the legal challenges and opportunities facing. Law and regulation have the role of creating a level playing field for emerging participants, such as prosumers, to participate and compete in the market together with traditional actors, bringing not only more competition but also representing a more sustainable, environmental and democratic way to supply energy. Furthermore, law and regulation have the role of responding to innovation and creating space for technological advances to procure the changes in the industry without delay.

This book examines some of the legal barriers for the raise of energy prosumers. The traditional role of the distributor when responding to increasing distributed generation in the network; prosumers unable to decide to whom they can sell their electricity to; the price of the energy or even whether to participate more actively in demand response programs. A further issue is the lack of clarity about whether small prosumers are entitled to consumer protection rights and legal challenges regarding configuration, access to the network, access to markets and strict unbundling rules for community energy projects.  This book provides a clear, analytical, and informed approach to understanding the regulatory framework around energy prosumers. It will appeal to policy makers, lawyers, individuals, business entrepreneurs or communities wanting to engage in energy projects, as well as academics, researchers and students

The Power System: Present and Future.- Coexistence of the Traditional-Centralised Power System Regulation and Emerging Technologies Regulation – Overview.- Law and Society: How the Active Role of Consumers Fits into the Broader Contex.- Access to the Network: The Regulation of the Distribution.- Active Consumers: Access to Relevant Markets and Consumer Rights.

Dr Daniela Aguilar is a researcher and lecturer at Mining and Energy Law Department at the University Externado of Colombia. She has Master in Energy Law and Policy from the University of Dundee, Scotland and a PhD in Law from the University of Waikato, New Zealand.

She has taught energy descentralization law, renewable energy law, hydrogen regulation and new technologies in the electricity sector to post graduate students at the University Externado of Colombia. She joined the Department of Mining and Energy Law  at the at the University Externado of Colombia in 2013. She is also the academic coordinator of an Online Master of Energy Law. She is the author of several publications on renewable energy law, prosumers and energy poverty. She is an active member of the ASIDE (Iberoamerican Association of Energy Law) and the IAEL (International Association of Energy Law)