Energy Update: Flexible Connection Agreements And New Information Requirements

EU provisions on flexible connection agreements and grid information requirements have been transposed in Irish law by European Union (Electricity Market Design) Regulations 2026 (the “Regulations”).

Flexible connection agreements

In line with Article 6a of the Internal Market in Electricity (“IME”) Directive, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (“CRU“) is required to develop a framework for the system operators (“SOs”) to offer the possibility of establishing flexible connection agreements in areas where there is limited or no network capacity availability for new connections (as published in accordance with Article 31(3) of the IME Directive and Article 50(4a), first subparagraph, of the IME Regulation). A “flexible connection agreement” is a set of agreed conditions for connecting electrical capacity to the grid that includes conditions to limit and control the electricity injection to and withdrawal from the network.