Electricity Security Advisory Board 2024

The meeting, hosted by the International Energy Agency (IEA), brought together key stakeholders in the energy sector to discuss emerging challenges and priorities in electricity security. It was opened by the IEA’s Director for Energy Markets and Security, Keisuke Sadamori. The IEA provided an overview of its recent activities and developments in the field of electricity security, with particular emphasis on the report Integrating Solar and Wind – Global Experience and Emerging Challenges, released on 18th September 2024.

The remainder of the event was composed of two roundtable discussions, with introductory interventions by the following distinguished speakers:

• Tatsuya Shinkawa, Secretary General, Electricity and Gas Market Surveillance Commission, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan
• Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Deputy Director General for Energy, European Commission
• Sonya Twohig, Secretary-General, European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E)
• Angela Livino, Special Advisor to the Executive Secretary, Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) • Willie L. Philips, Chair of US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
• Anna Collyer, Chair, Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
• Eleanor Warburton, Director for Energy Systems Design and Development, Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)
• Boniface Kinyanjui, Chief Engineer Generation Planning, Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC)

Participants from various regions recognised common challenges in maintaining electricity security and supply. There was an acknowledgement of the need to rethink the definition of electricity security, encompassing not just the availability of supply but also its affordability. In this context, markets and policies must evolve to enable renewable integration, to keep pace with technological advances and the evolving role of conventional power plants, and to ensure that the right services (including flexibility and stability) are procured to maintain secure supply. Discussions also focused on the increasing importance of regional integration to ensure electricity security across borders, and the critical role of cooperation between governments and power sector stakeholders in maintaining system resilience.

Through this meeting, the IEA reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the understanding and definition of electricity security and emphasised the ongoing role of power markets in ensuring a secure and resilient energy future. Participants encouraged the IEA to continue work in these areas that remain essential to support the transition to more sustainable and integrated energy systems.