Module 06 – Formulating regulatoryscenarios and national self-assessment

The different sections of the module briefly recall some of the most important points raised by the previous modules and provide a brief overview of the history of the reforms that have taken place in the electricity sector, emphasizing the role of institutions and specific policies to promote sustainable energy. Specifically the differences between developed countries and developing countries are explained, and some examples from the developing world are presented. It has to be kept in mind that the process of (de)regulation cannot in itself guarantee that an existing energy system will be the most efficient and sustainable one. It is indeed very likely that it will not be, especially in the African context. Therefore, appropriate policies and frameworks need to be put in place. The module contents primarily serve as guidance for the self-assessment tools which are referred to throughout the module. These tools will enable participants to evaluate the level of reforms in a country, taking into account its specific context. In this module, readers are asked to evaluate the situation in their home country using a checklist of possible measures. The checklist is meant as a firststep basic evaluation tool only as the institutions and policies for sustainable energy will obviously not be the same for all the countries. The checklist should provide a mechanism with which to evaluate the prevailing national sustainable energy regulation and policy situation in a given country and aid the process of further developing such regulations and policies. The self-assessment tool consists of four questionnaires, the first of which assesses the current status of the power sector in a given country. The next questionnaire looks into the energy regulatory framework in general, and the final two go into more detail with regard to the renewable energy and energy efficiency measures respectively. The completion of each questionnaire automatically generates a results page which allows for a quick interpretation of the national situation, and which includes more detailed exercises wherever relevant. Overall these tools will help to identify the major gaps in the current policy and regulatory framework, providing ideas and suggestions on how to create a bias towards renewable energy and energy efficiency.