Temporary electricity shortage undermines power grid stability

A temporary electricity shortage threatened the stability of the Czech power transmission system last week. Some power stations in the country are not in operation, reportedly due to a lack of customers. Others, such as the Dukovany nuclear power station and some coal-burning power stations, have been temporarily shut down. The operator of the power transmission system, CEPS, attributes the bad situation to poor legislation concerning the liberalisation of the electricity market, which does not stipulate the obligation to generate electricity and support the transmission system. At the same time, sanctions for overstepping the planned consumption by large customers are so low that companies prefer paying fines to costs incurred by power consumption reductions.