Accelerating Energy Transition: Government Council Approves Three Draft Decrees
On Thursday, September 12, 2024, in Rabat, the Government Council approved three draft decrees aimed at accelerating the energy transition, presented by Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.
These decrees aim to strengthen the national legal and regulatory framework for a sustainable energy transition, in line with the high directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. They also aim to implement the national energy strategy and the recommendations of the new development model, contributing to diversifying energy supply sources by increasing the share of renewable energies and ensuring access to energy at competitive prices, while preserving the environment, meeting the growing demand for electricity, and reducing energy dependence on foreign sources.
The issuance of these legal texts also aims to enhance renewable energy, accelerate the pace of energy transition, and decarbonize the national economy, providing new opportunities for marketing green products both in national and international markets.
The first draft decree, No. 804.24.2, concerns the smart meter in application of Article 18 of Law No. 21-82 on self-production of electrical energy. This decree aims to define the functions enabled by the smart meter, including remote operations, to ensure access to all information related to the electrical energy withdrawn from and injected into the national electric grid for the benefit of the self-producer or the concerned grid manager.
These bidirectional smart meters will form a fundamental cornerstone for accelerating the development of smart electrical grids in our country. These grids will enable the integration of renewable energies and strengthen the security of energy supplies by better managing the intermittent nature of these energies and transmitting them from production sites to consumption sites under optimal safety and efficiency conditions.
The second draft decree, No. 761.24.2, sets the conditions for granting “Certificates of Origin” for electricity from renewable energy sources and the authority responsible for issuing them. This is within the framework of applying Article 6 bis of Law No. 13.09 on renewable energies, as amended, and Article 16 of Law No. 82.21 on self-production of electrical energy. It aims to define the methods for granting Certificates of Origin that prove self-produced electricity is derived from renewable sources and identify the competent authority for granting these certificates, specifically the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.
This decree will provide new opportunities for marketing green products, particularly as a carbon tax is expected to be imposed nationally and internationally. It also considers internationally applied principles and standards to ensure acceptance of the Certificates of Origin issued by our country.
The third draft decree, No. 153-24.2, concerns the specifications for energy services companies in application of Article 6 of Law No. 47.09 on energy efficiency. This project is also part of the efforts by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development to complete the regulatory framework related to energy efficiency. It aims to activate mechanisms to encourage energy savings by enabling energy service companies to conduct studies aimed at reducing energy consumption and improving the energy performance of equipment and energy installations based on the results of their studies. The decree also aims to encourage employment in energy efficiency by creating a new generation of companies at the national level and new job opportunities.
