The months of April and May mark the arrival of beautiful weather, holiday periods and long weekends across most of Europe. With Catholic and Orthodox Easter coinciding this year, the coming weeks will be characterised by periods of low consumption and high generation of electricity, particularly from photovoltaic (PV) sources, depending on weather conditions. In 2023, solar power accounted for almost 10% of EU electricity generated, with installed capacity approaching 150 GW. This reflects the particularly strong growth in PV-generation seen in recent years. 

TSOs mobilise to keep the system balanced  

In preparation for April and May, transmission system operators (TSOs) have been taking proactive steps to ensure stability in the electricity power system. The biggest challenge could be the surplus of available energy, particularly solar power. TSOs are working to ensure that they will have the necessary sources of flexibility in place beforehand.  

• Dedicated operational teams: TSOs have set up special teams to prepare and manage the operation of the power system and be able to deal with all situations to balance supply and demand. 
• Flexibility resources: Regional coordination centres will support the TSOs with assessments of available flexibility updated up to near real time.  
• Information sharing: TSOs will also share information in how these levers can be used most efficiently for all TSOs over boarders.  
• Continuous monitoring: The dispatching teams will continuously monitor the situation and will activate all relevant measures efficiently.  

A shared responsibility for system security 

Market participants also have an important role to play in supporting system security by ensuring their portfolios are properly balanced and, where necessary, by reducing feed-in capacity. 

Resilient networks for a renewable future 

This period reminds us of the importance of a resilient energy network as Europe continues its transition to a more renewable-based power system. The progress achieved thus far reflects the collective efforts of TSOs, market participants and regional coordination centers. This moment gives us the opportunity to demonstrate how well-prepared Europe is for the future of energy.