Obtaining for the customer the status of Distribution System Operator (DSOn)

The case involved a client operating in the field of distributed energy, which faced a serious regulatory barrier preventing the connection of more than a dozen generation facilities to the grid. The inability to obtain connection conditions effectively blocked the implementation of planned investments, generating measurable business losses and delays in the implementation of projects of significant importance to the local energy infrastructure.

Regulatory challenge

Obtaining the status of a DSOn is one of the more complex regulatory processes in Polish energy law. It requires not only a successful proceeding before the President of the Energy Regulatory Authority, but also the development of a number of required technical and tariff documents, including the Distribution Network Operation and Maintenance Manual, tariffs and network development plans. Each of these elements is subject to detailed evaluation by the regulator, and formal or substantive deficiencies at any stage can significantly prolong or block the entire proceeding.

Law firm’s activities

HWW’s energy law team carried out comprehensive legal and regulatory support for the entire process. The firm prepared applications to the Energy Regulatory Authority, drafted the required technical and operational documentation, including the Distribution Grid Operation and Maintenance Manual, and constructed tariffs and grid development plans tailored to the specifics of the client’s operations and local grid conditions in northwestern Poland. The activities were carried out in close cooperation with the client, which allowed efficient response to the regulator’s questions and requirements at various stages of the proceedings.

Result

Successfully obtaining OSDn status allowed the client to connect to the grid more than a dozen generation facilities that previously could not obtain connection conditions. The unblocking of these investment projects translated directly into the possibility of launching large-scale generation activities and the implementation of local power development plans. The case is an example of an effective combination of legal knowledge and practical understanding of the energy sector’s conditions, which enabled the client to go through the complex regulatory process smoothly and without unnecessary delays.

Aleksandra Lindner – Partner, Attorney at Law, Court Mediator; Adrian Lukasik – Attorney at Law, Senior Associate; Martyna Dobkowska-Pragacz – Attorney Trainee, Associate were responsible for handling the case on the Law Firm’s side.