Empowering Energy Consumers in the EU: Legal Pathways for Promoting Renewable Electricity through Demand-side Management

This book, based on Dr. Ting Chen’s PhD research, tackles a hot topic at the intersection of three major issues in Europe: consumer rights, the way we regulate flexibility of the electricity consumers and our push for renewable energy. While it is a must-read for anyone studying European energy law, its insights are also incredibly valuable for policymakers and professionals worldwide who want to speed up the transition to a renewable energy system by involving everyday people. It shows how giving consumers more control is not just a nice idea—it is a powerful tool for a cleaner future.

Facilitating the uptake of renewable electricity is central to advancing the sustainable energy transition. Early policy focused on electricity supply, while energy consumers were largely overlooked and cast as passive recipients of energy and prices. In recent years, however, empowering consumers has emerged as a vital step in transitioning toward a decarbonized electricity system.

This book explores how the law on electricity operationalizes energy consumer empowerment by reshaping electricity consumption patterns. Consumers are empowered to provide demand flexibility—crucial for integrating variable renewables—and purchase or produce ‘green’ electricity. Focusing on EU and Belgian law, this research examines key legal issues associated with developing an implementation framework for consumer empowerment within the context of the low-carbon energy transition.