RAAEY review of August midday solar output drops
Greece’s energy regulator, RAAEY, is investigating whether solar producers deliberately reduced generation during periods of negative wholesale prices in August. The review covers several hours between Aug. 17 and Aug. 23. During that window, solar output fell around midday despite conditions when production would normally have been close to its daily peak.
Possible voluntary curtailment to avoid negative-price sales
Market participants have suggested that some generators may have voluntarily curtailed output to avoid selling electricity at negative prices. The regulator is examining whether the observed reduction was linked to technical or system conditions. It is also assessing whether the decline reflected deliberate operating decisions by generators.
ADMIE data request on causes and market impacts
RAAEY has requested detailed operational data from transmission system operator ADMIE. The information is intended to determine the cause of the midday output decline. The regulator will also assess whether the cuts influenced wholesale price formation or contributed to balancing costs.
Incentives created by negative pricing for renewables
Negative pricing can create an incentive for unsubsidised or market-exposed renewable generators to reduce output rather than pay to inject electricity into the system. The investigation may therefore test how Greek market rules handle increasingly frequent surplus-renewable periods. If deliberate curtailment is confirmed, regulators will need to determine whether the actions represented legitimate commercial optimisation or affected market-price formation in a way that raises compliance concerns.
