Regional Energy Initiatives: MedReg and the Energy Community

This book focuses on the two intra-regional initiatives created for the development and integration of energy markets: the Energy Community and MedReg.

The Energy Community and MedReg, apart from their common strategic role in providing a much-needed stable regulatory environment for energy markets in their respective reference countries, represent examples of a diverse development of regional energy initiatives. The former is initiated by external factors and is an example of a top-down approach, whereas the latter is a voluntary bottom-up initiative of the countries involved. The way the institutional framework is built is not without consequences on the functioning and organization of the two regional initiatives.

The book assesses these different approaches and their consequences in the framework of the development of the Energy Community and MedReg, with particular reference to their impact on regional integration, energy policy and institutional change. The analysis is enriched with several case studies on the role of independent regulatory agencies, the promotion of renewable energy sources, infrastructure and interconnection development across the Mediterranean basin and the implications of exporting the EU institutional model. This book is aimed at policy makers, institutions, energy companies and academics to provide a better understanding of the economic and institutional eco-system that characterize the Mediterranean area.

Carlo Cambini is Associate Professor of Industrial Organization at the Politecnico di Torino, research fellow at the IEFE – Bocconi, Milan, and economic member of the Scientific Committee of the Florence School of Regulation, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies - European University Institute (EUI). He received the Young Economist Essay Award at the 1999 EARIE conference in Losanne (CH). His research focuses on industrial economics, regulatory economics and competition policy with a strong background in telecommunications, transportation, and energy markets. He has being published in leading scientific international journals such as the RAND Journal of Economics, Journal of Industrial Economics, International Journal of Industrial Organization, Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Journal of Regulatory Economics. He acted as consultant for national agencies, such as the Italian Regulatory Authority for Communications (AGCOM), the Authority of Energy (AEEG), the Italian Treasury and local governments. He was also invited as Keynote Speaker in conferences organized by the Australian Regulatory and Competition Authority (ACCC), and by the Commerce Commission in New Zealand.

Alessandro Rubino is Lecturer in Economics at Bari University. Alessandro's research interests are in the fields of regulation, industrial organisation, energy market integration and demand side participation. Alessandro obtained his PhD in Economics from Siena University. Before completing his PhD has worked at Ofgem as Regulatory Economist. His main tasks where related to the analysis of the impact of the Large Combustion Plants Directive (LCPD, 2001/80/EC) on the generation portfolio in UK. In addition Alessandro has worked on the design and implementation of the incentive scheme for the national transmission system operator for gas and electricity. From June 2009 to July 2012 Alessandro has worked as Research Assistant at the Florence School of Regulation (European University Institute) within the Robert Schuman Centre, a research unit specialized in applied economics. He has been junior expert in the EC founded project "Paving the Way for the Mediterranean Solar Plan" and coordinator of the International Energy Regulation Network (IERN). From July 2012 to January 2014 Alessandro has been head of Capacity building and knowledge dissemination at the Enel Foundation.