Regulatory sandboxes: do they speed up innovation in energy?

E. Beckstedde, M. Correa, R. Cossent, J. Vanschoenwinkel, L. Meeus

Energy Policy Vol. 180, pp. 113656-1 - 113656-13

Summary:

Regulatory sandboxes are generally seen as an important tool to make policy and regulation evolve with the changes in our energy system and to create an equal playing field for new technologies and business models that arise with the energy transition. Although an increasing number of legal frameworks on regulatory sandboxes are being implemented in Europe, the pioneers in the Netherlands decided to close their sandbox program. These contradictory events lead to questions about the potential of regulatory sandboxes to bring innovation to the European energy sector. This paper contributes to this discussion by examining the experiences with regulatory sandboxes in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain. We compare approved sandbox projects based on their scope and regulatory derogations to identify areas of innovation and regulatory learning brought by regulatory sandboxes. We also examine the legal frameworks of the concerned countries to evaluate the interaction between the implementation of the framework and its potential to bring innovation. In this way, we develop best practices on the topics of regulatory sandboxes and their implementation frameworks.

Spanish layman's summary:

Los bancos de pruebas regulatorios ayudan al desarrollo de nuevas políticas y regulación. Pese a su uso creciente, los resultados prácticos no han sido siempre satisfactorios. Este artículo analiza experiencias con sandbox en 8 países europeos e identifica mejores prácticas en su uso e implantación.

English layman's summary:

Regulatory sandboxes can support the development of new policy and regulation. They are increasing used, but in practice they apparently have not always been successful. This paper examines the sandbox experiences in 8 European countries and identifies best practices in their use and implementation.

Keywords: Regulatory sandboxes; Regulatory experimentation; Energy regulation; Innovation; Research and development

JCR Impact Factor and WoS quartile: 9,300 - Q1 (2023)

DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113656

Published on paper: September 2023.

Published on-line: June 2023.

Citation:
E. Beckstedde, M. Correa, R. Cossent, J. Vanschoenwinkel, L. Meeus, Regulatory sandboxes: do they speed up innovation in energy?. Energy Policy. Vol. 180, pp. 113656-1 - 113656-13, September 2023. [Online: June 2023]