Consultation response - SOU 2014:84 Plan for impact
IT&Telekomföretagen and Svenska Teknik & Designföretagen have submitted a joint response to the consultation SOU 2014:84 from the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
Consultation response - SOU 2014:84 Plan for impact
General comments
IT&Telekomföretagen and Svenska Teknik&Designföretagen see smart grids as an important future technology that contributes to a sustainable society, increased customer influence and enables new efficient solutions. It is a business opportunity for companies in both the IT and energy sectors. Smart grids are a natural development of today's energy system and we see that digitalization has now reached the energy sector.
We appreciate that there is now an action plan, which includes many proposals that together provide good conditions for both business and public actors to develop the area. However, we would like to emphasize that these proposals should be followed by concrete projects and measures and therefore we see it as essential that an organization is set up to follow up and further develop the action plan.
Smart grids are an essential part of sustainable urban planning and infrastructure. It is therefore important to involve all parties involved in urban planning work in the further process and action plan at an early stage. With well-balanced and integrated planning that takes into account the existing and planned structure of the city, there are great synergies to be gained.
Smart grids are an important part of the work on the climate transition. From the climate perspective and the perspective of Sweden's energy supply as a whole, and the aspect that electricity is a scarce commodity globally, the Government should consider conducting an impact assessment to investigate how smart grids can best be integrated into a sustainable energy system and sustainable urban development.
We would also like to point out that smart grids as a future export industry are more dependent on good innovation capacity and a generally good business climate with good conditions for companies than on government support and regulations. The government can provide support through innovation support for pilot projects, innovation procurement and export promotion activities, but of greatest importance is access to good skills and general conditions that provide competitive companies.
The consultation, summary
On May 24, 2012, the government decided on committee directive 2012:48: Coordination Council with Knowledge Platform for Smart Grids. The committee has adopted the name Coordination Council for Smart Grids (Coordination Council or Council).
The overall tasks of the Coordination Council have been to carry out dialogue forums, establish a knowledge platform and produce a proposal for a national action plan for the development of smart grids. The Coordination Council has previously reported on its work through the Annual Report 2012 and the Interim and Annual Reports 2013. The Coordination Council for Smart Grids hereby submits its final report.
The recommendations and proposals of the Action Plan have been divided into three main areas, which are also reflected in the Coordination Council's objectives:
- Policy frameworks and market conditions
- Customer participation and social aspects
- R&D, innovation and growth
Finally, the Action Plan also contains a concluding section discussing longer-term actions that are not directly linked to the recommendations of the Action Plan.