From pv magazine France
The French government has decided to cut the settlement time step for power market imbalances from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, in line with a broader shift in the European Union's internal electricity market. The day-ahead spot market will also move from hourly to 15-minute intervals.
In addition to aligning France with other European markets, this change “will better take into account the specific characteristics of renewable energies and contribute to their successful integration into the electricity system,” the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) said in its related deliberation.
Renewable sources such as solar photovoltaic and wind power have generation profiles that can fluctuate significantly within 30 minutes. The move to 15-minute intervals is intended to provide more accurate price signals, supporting the development of renewables, batteries, price-driven demand response, and load shedding.
The transition also affects supplementary remuneration (CR) contracts, which cover a large share of renewable energy projects developed in France in recent years. Currently, CR payments are calculated on an hourly basis, in line with the existing daily market intervals.
Renewable energy producers operating under CR contracts are already encouraged to shut down during periods of negative prices. The CRE supports modifying these contracts so the negative price bonus applies when no production occurs during a 15-minute spot price interval.
The CRE recommends that this change be implemented simultaneously across all CR contracts starting April 1, 2026. Until then, it advises treating hourly prices in CR contracts as the average of the four 15-minute intervals within the hour.
The CRE also called on the administrative authority to confirm the end date of the transitional period as soon as possible. In parallel, it will work with grid operator RTE to examine complementary measures beyond those already included in the 2025 Finance Act to smooth the shutdowns and restarts of affected assets.
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