Change Consultations

The BSC restricts the activities of Elexon and in the absence of a specific Modification any additional activities cannot be pursued by Elexon (even when those activities would be of benefit to BSC Parties, industry generally and/or the consumer). 

In the past specific Modifications have been necessary which have enabled Elexon to provide the Warm Homes Discount Reconciliation service, EMR settlement, and to participate in gas performance assurance framework and REC manager appointment processes.

Such individual Modifications to extend Elexon’s vires are time consuming and can be an unnecessary distraction for industry. They can also result in Elexon being unable to pursue an opportunity within a required timeframe.

P390 seeks to introduce a framework into the BSC that allows the Elexon Board to determine whether Elexon can undertake additional activities provided certain conditions are met and with consent of the Authority

All of the conditions introduced in previous Modifications to Elexon’s vires, P330 ‘Allowing Elexon to tender for the Uniform Network Code Gas Performance Assurance Framework Administrator (PAFA) role’ and P365 ‘Enabling Elexon to tender for the Retail Energy Code (REC)’ are included, plus some additional conditions to safeguard the interests of BSC Parties.

Following closure of the Report Phase Consultation on 29 April, the Draft Modification Report will be presented to the BSC Panel on 14 May 2020.

P404 aims to move Balancing and Settlement Code Procedure BSCP537 Appendices 1 ‘Self Assessment Document’, 2 ‘Testing Requirements’ and 3 ‘Guidance Notes on completing the SAD’ to a new Category 3 BSC Configurable Item.

This will facilitate quicker change to the Self Assessment Document (SAD) and its supporting documentation, with the new Category 3 BSC Configurable Item being owned and managed by the Performance Assurance Board (PAB).

This Modification will change the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) to align with the existing Grid Code Trans European Replacement Reserves Exchange (TERRE) market suspension arrangements and support National Grid Electricity System Operator’s (NGESO) Market Suspension Rules proposal; mandated by the European regulations ‘Network Code on Electricity Emergency and Restoration’ (NCER) and ‘Establishing a guideline on electricity transmission system operation (SOGL). P403 will provide Market Participants clarity on how the BSC arrangements will operate in the event that the TERRE Market arrangements are suspended

This Modification will ensure the process and responsibilities for amending BSC provisions constituting EBGL Article 18 terms and conditions reflect delegations made by NGESO in favor of the BSCCo and BSC Panel, to ensure a unified market change process. These changes are necessary to ensure the EBGL change process is followed as part of the existing BSC Change process, for all future BSC Modifications that impact the EBGL Article 18 terms and conditions found in the BSC.

P401 looks to clarify the governance arrangements for BSC Panel Alternates in respect of their contribution to quoracy and voting at BSC Panel meetings. This will help to address ambiguity within the existing arrangements.

This consultation allows you to have your say regarding the proposed changes.

This consultation is in regards to allowing the BSC Panel to make decisions on Modifications Business via tele/video conference.

Currently, paragraph 4.4.7 of BSC Section B explicitly prevents the Panel from conducting Modification Business by tele/video conference except in the case of Urgent Modification Proposals. This is overly restrictive and could, in the event that a quorum of Panel Members or their Alternates cannot physically attend a Panel meeting, could delay or halt the progression of BSC Change.

This consultation allows you to have your say regarding the proposed changes.

The BSC restricts the activities of Elexon and in the absence of a specific Modification any additional activities cannot be pursued by Elexon (even when those activities would be of benefit to BSC Parties, industry generally and/or the consumer). 

In the past specific Modifications have been necessary which have enabled Elexon to provide the Warm Homes Discount Reconciliation service, EMR settlement, and to participate in gas performance assurance framework and REC manager appointment processes.

Such individual Modifications to extend Elexon’s vires are time consuming and can be an unnecessary distraction for industry. They can also result in Elexon being unable to pursue an opportunity within a required timeframe.

P390 seeks to introduce a framework into the BSC that allows the Elexon Board to determine whether Elexon can undertake additional activities provided certain conditions are met.

All of the conditions introduced in previous Modifications to Elexon’s vires, P330 ‘Allowing Elexon to tender for the Uniform Network Code Gas Performance Assurance Framework Administrator (PAFA) role’ and P365 ‘Enabling Elexon to tender for the Retail Energy Code (REC)’ are included, plus some additional conditions to safeguard the interests of BSC Parties.

P396 seeks to exclude Interconnector Balancing Mechanism (BM) Units from the Main Funding Share and Supplier Volume Allocation (SVA) (Production) Funding Share Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) Charges, in order to better facilitate the EU Third Package.

We are re-issuing P399 for Report Phase Consultation as new material information in relation to the solution was provided in the first Report Phase Consultation. The ESO response identified that the cost for including the ‘tendered status’ filed will now cost an additional £350k-500k. The Workgroup have decided to keep the tendered status in the solution, but in light of this material increase in cost are re-issuing P399 for consultation.

Following the introduction of P392 ‘Amending BSC Change Process for EBGL Article 18’ in June 2020, all BSC Modifications must now consider the impact on the EBGL Article 18 terms and conditions for balancing. This requires that the Workgroup is reconvened, where there have been any representations that may require the Modification Proposal to be amended. The Workgroup must then decide whether to amend, or not, the solution and where it is amended re-consult. 

P394 proposes to remove text relating to unused or expired provisions from the BSC. 

P385 proposes to amend BSC Section H in such a manner as to introduce new Events of Default and simplify and reduce the periods after which an Event of Default is triggered.

We are requesting data on balancing services provided by assets. We will use this data to conduct analysis into the suitability of some known baseline methodologies, used in other markets, to demonstrate that the solution can produce accurate figures that will not pose a risk to the integrity of Settlement.

Without this data, the P376 Workgroup will be unable to assess the suitability of baselines using GB specific data. It will be used by P375 to help demonstrate the independence of assets.

Data provided under this Request for Information will be anonymised to protect confidentiality.

This Modification proposes to amend the BSC to expand the scope of the TAM technique to allow for Desktop Audits to act as a supplement to existing on-site Inspection Visits.

By amending the BSC and BSC Systems (namely the TAAMT) to facilitate Desktop Audits, Elexon can provide a flexible, pragmatic and cost-effective addition to onsite Inspection Visits. To facilitate the solution, Section L and BSCP27 will be amended to describe the high-level obligations and process detail for the undertaking of Desktop Audits respectively, while definitions of a Desktop Audit and On-Site Inspection will be introduced to Annex X-1.

Listen to our podcast to find out more about the Desktop Audit modification.

P374 seeks to ensure that the BSC is aligned with the European Electricity Balancing Guideline (EBGL – Regulation 2017/2195) derogation and change process by ensuring that:

• BSC Modifications are not implemented until the EBGL change process has completed; and
• BSC Derogations cannot be granted for provisions that constitute relevant legal requirements (Alternative Modification, which aligns to existing BSC wording) or that meet the EBGL balancing terms and conditions (Proposed Modification).

Specifically, P374 aims to reflect changes to the Code Governance arising from the application of the terms and conditions related to balancing from Articles 4, 5, 6, 10 and 18 of the EBGL

This Modification is intended to enable the aggregation of specific Metering Systems’ metered data for network charging purposes, i.e. to support the operation of CUSC Modification Proposals CMP280 and CMP281. This Modification will  introduce processes explaining how Suppliers, Half Hourly Data Aggregators (HHDAs) and the Supplier Volume Allocation Agent (SVAA) participate in the aggregation and reporting of storage facilities’ Metering Systems’ metered data and enable the BSC Panel and BSCCo to perform assurance activities in relation to the aggregation of this data.

There is a conflict between the rules in the Balance and Settlement Code (BSC) and the Capacity Market (CM) rules regarding how Balancing Mechanism (BM) Units are registered. Removing this conflict from the BSC will clarify the arrangements and ensure BSC Parties remain compliant with both the BSC and CM rules.