Access and connection to distribution networks are mainly defined by Act 24/2013, of 26 November, on the Electricity Sector, and Royal Decrees 1955/2000, of 1 December, and 1183/2020, of 29 December, on access and connection to electricity transmission and distribution grids.
Distribution network access and connection procedure
Producers, transmission companies, distributors, consumers and storage facility owners will be entitled to access and connect to the distribution grid.
Access and connection permits are obtained by submitting a transmission- or distribution-grid access and connection request, as applicable, to the corresponding grid operator.
Agents that wish to connect a new facility directly to the distribution grid or extend the declared power and conditions of existing facilities already connected to the grid, will need to make their request to the operator of the distribution grid they wish to connect to. This request will have to include the information required by the distribution grid’s operator to establish whether there is an available connection capacity and feasibility.
An access permit can only be denied if there is insufficient access capacity available. Connection permits can only be denied because of technical impossibilities, safety issues, lack of a grid facility where the connection point is requested and failure to provide for the facility in the current transmission grid’s planning or in the distributors’ investment plans approved by the General State Administration, or lack of sufficient physical space for housing the necessary facilities.
In any case, all access and connection permit refusals must be justified and communicated to applicants during request assessments.
Any disputes over grid connection procedures must be decided by the competent body:
- In the case of facilities whose authorisation falls within the jurisdiction of the General State Administration, by the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC).
- In the case of facilities whose authorisation falls within the jurisdiction of autonomous-community governments, disputes must be decided by the competent body of the corresponding autonomous community, subject to a report from the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC).
Disputes that arise over a grid’s access procedure must be decided by the CNMC.
Access rights may be temporarily restricted. Such restrictions must be justified and based on the criteria of the regulations stated in the first paragraph of this section, without prejudice to the provisions of article 7.
Access to the distribution grid for consumers and generators with an influence on the transmission grid
Where granting a grid access point’s permit may affect the transmission grid or, if applicable, the upstream distribution grid, the operator of the grid which the access permit is being requested for will need to request an acceptability report, on these possible effects and their resulting restrictions, from the operator of the upstream network.
Restrictions to use of access points to the distribution grid
Granting access implies a right to use the grid under the conditions established by law or regulations. Nonetheless, the individual’s right of access at the proposed connection point may be temporarily restricted, particularly in the case of conditions which, in turn, may arise as a result of operational situations or grid-maintenance and development needs.
Connecting to the distributor’s grids
Access charges
These are paid when hiring a new supply or increasing the power for an existing supply. The contracting party (usually the consumer) pays these charges
Other charges that may apply:
- Supervision charges for transferred facilities
- Connection charges
- Verification charges
- Charges for action on measurement and control devices
Extension charges
Newly extended grid facilities required for dealing with new supplies or increasing existing low-voltage supplies to 100 kW and high-voltage supplies to 250 kW, on urbanised land having the resources and services required by current development legislation before the need for an electricity supply arose, will be built by the area’s local distribution company, leading to the application of the corresponding extension charges.
For all other newly extended facilities required for dealing with requests for new supplies or increasing existing supplies, based on the technical and economic conditions established in article 21(1(b) of the corresponding Royal Decree, the cost will be borne by their applicants, but no extension charges will be incurred.