Information systems in an electricity open market

The new liberalised electricity markets and the new e-commerce schemes have a severe impact in the business models for the electricity-related companies. The necessary information systems associated to their models are therefore changing. New needs are arising related to the planning, forecasting, and especially trading tasks. In the case of trading, a true open market can only be implemented by establishing efficient electronic commerce networks to be utilised by the different market players to trade power delivery and related services (such as power capacity, transmission line capacity, etc.) with equal access to the market. The electronic trading infrastructure is essential for operating in electricity markets, where transactions amounting to several millions of Euro value are expected to occur every day. In order to fully exploit the potential offered by that infrastructure, and to achieve high profits while hedging the risk, the energy production companies are asking for reliable information systems to help them to manage their everyday business. This work is aimed at introducing people involved in electricity markets, decision makers, dispatchers, traders, etc., into the information systems related with the field and IBERINCO experience with it