News & Announcements

VIS has been commissioned by NARUC (assignment funded by the Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) at the U.S. Department of State) to support the regulatory bodies in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos as they work towards development of a regional electricity market. The study aims to assist all four countries in advancing from simple bilateral power trade to a functional regional power market. As part of the study, VIS will analyze current regulatory frameworks, identify regulatory and infrastructure gaps, and design a transition roadmap based on a set of recommendations informed by international best practices.

VIS has been commissioned by the Greek Regulatory Energy Agency (RAE) to conduct a composite three-part assignment: Prepare country reports for the EastMed Gas Forum members (Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Palestine) covering their natural gas regulatory frameworks. Report on the practices from selected EU countries on the methodology and parameters for the calculation of the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) in the transmission and distribution of electricity and gasDevelopment of guidelines for the assessment of network development plans submitted to RAE by the electricity and natural gas TSOs and DSOs, based on EU and international practices

VIS is very excited with its new assignment to support ACER with its evaluation of ENTSOG’s cost benefit analysis (CBA) methodology and the applicability of it or not for Hydrogen infrastructure projects. As part of this study, VIS will review and organize all available information relating to hydrogen infrastructure in Europe (existing & planned), assess the market & network conditions in the EU for the development of new infrastructure and conclude with a set of recommendations for ENTOG on developing a CBA methodology for Hydrogen infrastructure.

VIS has been commissioned by NARUC (assignment funded by USAID) to support the Zambian Energy Regulation Board (ERB) towards a more accurate assessment of energy sector investment needs and respective planning. Improved system planning will help to ensure that investment needs for system improvement or expansion are prudently identified, and that investment is appropriately targeted to where it is needed most. As part of its mission, VIS will prepare Guidelines for Evaluating Demand Forecasts and Least Cost Expansion Planning (LCEP) tailored to the Zambian context and execute a week-long capacity building workshop with our Zambian ERB colleagues.

VIS will prepare and deliver online training based on the material developed in USAID/NARUC’s Primer “Depreciation Expense: A Primer for Utility Regulators.” Using the principles outlined in the depreciation primer, the training will be tailored to the Bangladesh context and emphasize the role of the energy regulatory commission.

VIS, as part of the Ecorys team, will participate in the implementation of a study for DG ENER, centered on assessing the impact of the RRF on the energy and climate targets and the implementation of the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of EU MS, the impact of the RRF on the financing solutions used for EU MS national projects in the energy sector, and an overview of the relevant impacts on EU as a whole.

VIS is participating as subcontractor in this framework contract, providing expert support to the Energy Regulatory Authority of Cyprus (CERA) for the development of gas regulatory documents.

VIS, as part of the Tetra Tech team, will participate in the implementation in this USAID funded project, aiming to strengthen Moldova’s energy security, diversify gas supply, enhance energy efficiency, and reinforce domestic power generation and related transmission and distribution infrastructure. VIS will support activities focused on improving Moldova’s physical and market Integration with Europe, increasing Renewable Energy, and facilitating EE and power generation investments.

VIS has been commissioned by NARUC (assignment funded by United States Department of State) to support the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam (ERAV) in its role to review the implementation of voltage control mechanisms on distribution circuits as solar power connections increase in Vietnam. The analysis will assess Vietnam’s current approach to voltage regulation and provide best practices for establishing a regulatory framework to enable reliable integration of renewable energy.

The European Union aims to decarbonize its gas sector by 2050 via the use of “low carbon gases”, including “blue” and “green” hydrogen. In the short and mid-term, natural gas is also envisaged to play a significant role as a “transitional fuel”. This short report elaborates on the fact that the carbon neutrality target -to be achieved by 2050- is not fully compatible with the long lifetimes of “blue” hydrogen and new natural gas infrastructure, especially when considering the expected cost-competitiveness of “green” hydrogen in the coming years. In more detail, we present how the relevant EC policies, the Member States’ initiatives, the allocation of public and private funds and the pipeline of new natural gas projects raise concerns for probable lock-in effects and increase the risk of having natural gas and/or “blue” hydrogen stranded assets across the EU.