On 31 March 2026, ACER will open a public consultation on developments in the EU Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) market. The aim is to identify existing initiatives and challenges faced by market participants across Member States.

What are Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)?

PPAs are long-term contracts between electricity producers (often renewable energy generators) and buyers. By providing renewable electricity at mutually agreed rates, these contracts foster long-term price stability and investment predictability for both parties. This helps reduce exposure to market volatility and encourages investments in renewable energy, limiting reliance on subsidy schemes. 

Under the revised Renewable Energy Directive, Member States are required to facilitate the uptake of renewable PPAs by removing unjustified barriers and disproportionate or discriminatory practices. However, the availability and functioning of these contracts vary significantly across the EU due to different national regulatory frameworks and financing mechanisms.

Why consult?

ACER is responsible for monitoring the PPAs market and publishing an annual assessment of its development at both EU and Member State level. 

To this end, ACER is launching a consultation to identify key regulatory, market and financial factors affecting the development and functioning of PPAs across Member States.

Get involved!

The public consultation will run from 31 March to 8 May 2026.

Feedback received will inform ACER’s 2026 annual assessment of the EU PPAs market.  

Europe has an EU-wide framework (called “REMIT”) to detect and deter market manipulation and abuse in wholesale energy markets. It enhances transparency and trust in the integrity of Europe’s energy markets. In 2024, EU legislators updated the REMIT framework giving ACER additional tasks, including the power to investigate cross-border cases.

ACER’s REMIT Quarterlies provide updates on REMIT-related activities, helping stakeholders stay informed. 

What’s new?

The latest REMIT Quarterly (43rd edition) features ACER’s new Rules of Procedure for cross-border investigations. These rules set out the procedural framework within which ACER carries out its cross-border investigatory mandate under REMIT. 

Find out more in this Quarterly about:

• ACER’s stakeholder engagement plan for 2026.
• ACER’s ongoing preparatory work on data reporting under the revised REMIT, pending finalisation of the revised REMIT Implementing Regulation.
• Updates on market surveillance and statistics on the 456 REMIT breach cases under review at the end of Q4 2025.
• A case report on an attempt to manipulate the Spanish gas market, investigated and sanctioned by Spain’s energy regulator (CNMC).
• A summary of market activity, showing a year-on-year increase in trading on Organised Market Places, driven by growth in natural gas forward markets.
• Takeaways from November 2025 events, including Expert Groups’ meetings on Wholesale Energy Market Data Reporting and the ACER-European Commission REMIT workshop.

Coming soon

ACER will soon launch a public consultation on a new guideline on REMIT transaction reporting to reflect evolving obligations under the revised REMIT framework. Details on the scope and timeline will follow shortly.

Today, ACER releases its report on the Danish gas transmission tariffs directed at Energinet, Denmark’s transmission system operator (TSO).

The report assesses the compliance of the proposed reference price methodology (RPM) with the requirements of the EU Network Code on Harmonised Transmission Tariff Structures (NC TAR).

What is the proposed tariff methodology?

The Danish TSO proposes to:

• Apply a uniform postage stamp reference price methodology with an ex-post entry-exit split, combined with discounts for gas storage facilities.
• Continue recovering transmission revenues through capacity-based tariffs only, meaning users pay based on the network capacity they book, not the volume of gas they transport.
• Maintain the existing joint market zone, which integrates the upstream section of the Baltic Pipe (the pipeline connecting Norwegian gas to Poland via Denmark) into the Danish entry-exit zone. Costs of this infrastructure continue to be covered by network users through a separate non-transmission tariff.
• Keep two non-transmission services in place: upstream Baltic Pipe infrastructure and emergency gas supply.
• Continue offering ex-ante discounts for interruptible capacity in steps (5% intervals). This allows users to book extra capacity at reduced prices that can be used when the network is not fully utilised, though it may be interrupted if users with guaranteed capacity rights need network access. 

What are the key findings? 

After analysing the consultation document, ACER concludes that: 

• The proposed methodology meets EU rules on transparency, non-discrimination and volume risk.
• Compliance with the requirements on cost-reflectivity, avoidance of cross-subsidisation and the prevention of cross-border trade distortions cannot be fully assessed due to lack of detail on the upstream infrastructure.
• There is insufficient information to assess whether the proposed pricing for the upstream non-transmission services complies with network code principles. 
• The proposed emergency supply tariff falls outside the scope of the network code framework (which covers transmission and non-transmission services provided to network users), as it pays for a security-of-supply service provided directly to end users.

What does ACER recommend? 

ACER recommends that the Danish national regulator (DUR), when adopting its final decision on the proposed methodology:

• Ensure the upstream Baltic Pipe is overseen with similar transparency and scrutiny to the main transmission network, as its costs are also covered by transmission network users. 
• Handle emergency supply tariffs separately from standard network fees, as they serve end users (not network users) and thus fall outside NC TAR rules.
• Adjust discounts for interruptible capacity using the network code formula to better reflect the actual risk of interruption.

See all ACER reports on national tariff consultation documents.

ACER published its Opinion on the draft decision of the Polish national regulatory authority (URE) certifying GAZ-SYSTEM as a hydrogen transmission network operator.

This is the first case of a hydrogen transmission network operator seeking certification under the Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonisation Package. 

According to the Regulation, hydrogen transmission network operators must be certified by national regulatory authorities before they can operate. Before being certified, the European Commission assesses compliance with EU ownership unbundling rules. These require operators to be independent from energy producers and suppliers across sectors to foster fair competition.

In this case, the European Commission requested ACER to provide an opinion on the draft decision by the Polish national regulator to support its final assessment.  

What does ACER say? 

Overall, ACER agrees with the assessment that GAZ-SYSTEM meets the requirements for national certification. However, it notes that URE should closely monitor GAZ-SYSTEM’s independence from other energy actors and ensure that financial accounts are separated between operations. Having separated accounts ensures clear regulatory economic oversight of the operator and that tariffs accurately reflect the specific costs of operating the gas and hydrogen networks independently, preventing pricing distortions.

Throughout the process, ACER has cooperated with URE and collected its input before adopting the Opinion.

What are the next steps?

The European Commission should issue its Opinion by 6 April 2026, taking into consideration ACER’s assessment.

As part of its REMIT mandate, ACER is strengthening transparency and reliability in the EU liquefied natural gas (LNG) market through:

• updated guidance on LNG market data reporting; and
• a new Expert Group on LNG price assessment and benchmarks.

Why does this matter?

The Regulation on Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency (REMIT) is the EU-wide framework that helps detect and deter abuse in wholesale energy markets.

Under REMIT, ACER is responsible for publishing a daily LNG price assessment and a daily LNG benchmark, providing market participants with reliable references that reflect actual trading conditions.

Reliable LNG price indicators mainly depend on two elements:

1. Accurate and consistent reporting by market participants

To support this, ACER has updated its guidance on LNG market data reporting, which clarifies how market participants should submit the data used for the price assessment and benchmark in line with REMIT requirements. The update includes additional guidance on how to report information about the facility where LNG is loaded onto a ship in case of free on board (FOB) transactions. In these arrangements, once the cargo is loaded, ownership of the LNG passes from the seller to the buyer, who then becomes responsible for transport and delivery. 

The guidance will be revised again once the recast REMIT Implementing Regulation is published in the Official Journal, to reflect any new reporting requirements and incorporate stakeholder input.

2. A robust methodology to collect and process LNG transaction data

ACER regularly reviews the methodology behind its LNG price assessment and benchmarks to reflect feedback from market participants and evolving market practices.

To further refine this methodology and strengthen its work on price assessments and benchmarks, ACER is launching a new Expert Group. Building on previous experience, the group will serve as a platform for discussion and expert input, helping improve the reliability of LNG price indicators.

Interested in joining the Expert Group? 

We are looking for professionals with experience in LNG markets, energy pricing or related fields to join and contribute their expertise.

Submit your application by 26 March 2026 16 April 2026 (deadline extended on 25 March 2026).

Check the Open Letter for detailed information on the application process, eligibility criteria and other relevant information.