Partner Igor Retivov Joined an Open Discussion Hosted by the Ukraine Facility Platform

Altelaw & Sempra Partner Igor Retivov joined an open discussion hosted by the Ukraine Facility Platform, which has developed an approach capable of accelerating the launch of community energy projects by next winter and ensuring the rapid integration of decentralized capacities into the energy system.

The key proposal is the “active consumer” model. It allows for the construction of up to 5 MW of generation on an existing grid connection, provided the appropriate status is obtained and the consumer purchases half of the generated electricity. For municipal enterprises—water utilities, district heating companies, and other critical infrastructure operators—this is a potentially scalable solution, as they own or utilize thousands of available sites.

The discussion participants proposed bolder solutions that would allow for the rapid deployment of a decentralized generation network beyond just municipal enterprises. In particular, it was proposed to abolish the 50% limit on generating capacity output for active consumers and to revise the approach to dispatching market participants who can both off-take (consume) and supply (generate) electricity to the grid, which should simplify relations with system operators. They also discussed the investor’s ability to have guaranteed use of a portion of the consumer’s (active consumer’s) capacity when installing generating facilities, as well as participation in the electricity market without restrictions from the active consumer. All these ideas will be further developed and discussed to enhance system resilience and prepare for the next heating season.

The Altelaw & Sempra team supports initiatives like the Ukraine Facility Platform, which provide communities and businesses with workable legal tools for the rapid development of decentralized generation and the enhancement of Ukraine’s energy resilience.