Business Models for Electricity Distribution in Europe: Evidence from the JRC DSO Observatory 2018

This paper presents information on how European DSOs operate their business, including management of smart grid features. This work builds on the data collected and presented in the Distribution System Operators (DSO) Observatory report, held by our team in the Joint Research Centre (JRC). We first give a summary of the DSO report, presenting aggregated information on the technical data characterizing the DSOs as well as on the smart grid dimension. Further on, we present information on how the DSOs are distributed in Europe according to the clients they serve and their annual distributed energy. Patterns formed with respect to the DSOs at European member states are given. In addition, we give feedback on how the DSOs contribute to the smart grid realization, for instance by applying Demand Side Flexibility (DSF) programs and in the coordinated operation of transmission and distribution networks.