Publications

Wind and solar photovoltaics (PV) are currently the fastest-growing sources of electricity globally. A 'next generation' phase of deployment is emerging, in which wind and solar PV are technologically mature and economically affordable.

The success of variable renewable energy (VRE) is also bringing new challenges to the fore. Electricity generation from both technologies is constrained by the varying availability of wind and sunshine. This can make it difficult to maintain the necessary balance between electricity supply and consumption at all times.

As these variable renewables enter this next generation of deployment, the issue of system and market integration becomes a critical priority for renewables policy and energy policy more broadly. The paper highlights that this will require strategic action in three areas:

- System-friendly deployment, aiming to maximise the net benefit of wind and solar power for the entire system

- Improved operating strategies, such as advanced renewable energy forecasting and enhanced scheduling of power plants

- Investment in additional flexible resources, comprising demand-side resources, electricity storage, grid infrastructure and flexible generation

In addition, the paper argues that unlocking the contribution of system-friendly deployment calls for a paradigm shift in the economic assessment of wind and solar power. The traditional focus on the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) – a measure of cost for a particular generating technology at the level of a power plant – is no longer sufficient. Next-generation approaches need to factor in the system value of electricity from wind and solar power – the overall benefit arising from the addition of a wind or solar power generation source to the power system. System value is determined by the interplay of positives and negatives including reduced fuel costs, reduced carbon dioxide and other pollutant emissions costs, or higher costs of additional grid infrastructure.

In addition to general analysis and recommendations, the paper also includes summaries of three case studies in China, Denmark and South Africa.

The Czech Republic recently approved a new National Energy Policy (SEP) that aims to reduce energy consumption and improve the economy’s energy intensity. This IEA country review provides a snapshot of the energy sector in the Czech Republic and examines the impact of the SEP. The review warns that reaching long-term energy targets will require greater effort if the country is to play its part in the on-going global energy transition.The SEP broadly seeks to strengthen security of energy supply and build a competitive and sustainable energy sector. While the Czech Republic has experienced strong growth in the renewable energy sector – notably solar PV – policy changes have created uncertainty. Meanwhile, greenhouse gas emissions, which have been falling since 2000, are expected to increase. Coal dominates the power sector and is the largest source of carbon emissions and also poses a substantial threat to local air quality.The review finds that natural gas supply security remains strong, and the country is expected to remain a net exporter of electricity. The expansion of nuclear power is one of the main pillars of the SEP, and will play a greater role in coming years. The SEP also establishes key targets for energy security, emissions, energy savings, electricity generation and affordability.This review also provides recommendations for further policy improvements that are intended to help guide the country towards a more secure and sustainable energy future.

Since the last in-depth review in 2009, Italy has made strong progress in the development and implementation of energy policy. The most notable improvement has been the publication of a comprehensive long-term energy strategy.The adoption of the National Energy Strategy in 2013 sent a strong signal to stakeholders as to the government’s medium- and long-term objectives for the energy sector. It established clear goals: reduce energy costs, meet environmental targets, strengthen security of energy supply and foster sustainable economic growth. Nonetheless, the adoption of the Strategy is only a first step towards achieving the government’s ambitions. Monitoring implementation and maintaining momentum will present a challenge for the government.Italy has experienced impressive growth in the renewable energy sector and has been successful in integrating large volumes of variable renewable generation. Containing costs is a priority, and policies need to focus on bringing deployment costs towards international benchmarks.Italy has also continued to progress in terms of market liberalisation and infrastructure development, notably in the electricity market where transmission improvements between north and south, as well as market coupling, have resulted in price convergence throughout the country and wholesale prices tending towards those elsewhere in Europe. Development in the gas sector has been slower, and greater progress is needed if Italy is to be become a southern European gas hub. Furthermore, institutional arrangements within the energy sector remain complex and should be reformed and strengthened. Implementation of the National Energy Strategy provides a timely opportunity to address each of these challenges in a comprehensive way.This review analyses the energy policy challenges facing Italy and provides recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to help guide the country towards a more secure and sustainable energy future.

En raison de la mobilité et de la fongibilité de l’argent, les groupes multinationaux peuvent aisément obtenir des résultats fiscaux favorables en jouant sur le montant de la dette au sein d’une entité du groupe. Le rapport de 2015 a établi une approche commune qui relie directement les déductions nettes d’une entité au titre d’intérêts à son activité économique, sur la base d’un certain pourcentage de son résultat avant les revenus et charges d'intérêts, l'amortissement et les provisions (EBITDA). Cette approche associe trois éléments : une règle fondée sur un ratio déterminé qui repose sur un ratio de référence intérêts nets/EBITDA ; une règle fondée sur un ratio de groupe qui autorise une entité à déduire plus de charges d’intérêts, en fonction de la position de son groupe mondial ; et des règles ciblées qui traitent des risques spécifiques. Des travaux supplémentaires concernant deux aspects de l'approche commune ont été menés en 2016. Le premier aspect de ces travaux concerne les éléments de la conception et le fonctionnement de la règle fondée sur un ratio de groupe et se concentre sur les méthodes de calcul des charges nettes d’intérêts d’un groupe envers des tierces parties, le calcul de l’EBITDA de groupe et l’impact des entités avec un EBITDA négatif sur le fonctionnement de la règle. Le second aspect de ce travail identifie les caractéristiques des secteurs de la banque et de l'assurance qui peuvent restreindre la capacité de ces groupes à s’engager dans des pratiques de BEPS impliquant des charges d’intérêts, tout en soulignant que ces contraintes ne s’appliquent pas systématiquement. Il identifie également les approches permettant de gérer les risques posés par les entités appartenant à ces secteurs.

This follow-up to the 2001 OECD Territorial Review of Bergamo monitors progress over the past 15 years and reassesses the main development challenges the region faces. Globalisation has intensified international competition in Bergamo’s traditional manufacturing sector, and the global financial crisis has exacerbated some of the structural weaknesses of Bergamo’s traditional industrial sectors. The region needs to upgrade production processes to generate more added value in economic activities to remain competitive. The review offers recommendations to help Bergamo transition to higher value-added and more technologically intensive activities. In particular, it calls for: a development plan supported by all local actors; a strategy for improving the skills of the adult population through education and training programmes; stimulating innovation systems; attracting foreign direct investment; and, finally, strategies for boosting the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) conducts periodic reviews of the individual development co-operation efforts of DAC members. The policies and programmes of each member are critically examined approximately once every five years. DAC peer reviews assess the performance of a given member, not just that of its development co-operation agency, and examine both policy and implementation. They take an integrated, system-wide perspective on the development co-operation and humanitarian assistance activities of the member under review.

Costa Rica is one of the first countries to involve the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the state in the design and implementation of its national open government agenda. The OECD Open Government Review of Costa Rica supports the country in its efforts to build a more transparent, participatory, and accountable government as an essential element of its democracy. This review provides an overview of the current national institutions, legal framework, policies and initiatives that underpin the implementation of open government principles, with a focus on policy co-ordination, citizen participation, and open government policies at the local level. It includes a detailed and actionable set of recommendations to help the country achieve its goal of creating an open state.

Job displacement (involuntary job loss due to firm closure or downsizing) affects many workers over the course of their working lives. Displaced workers may face long periods of unemployment and, even when they find new jobs, tend to be paid less than in the jobs they held prior to displacement. Helping displaced workers get back into good jobs quickly should be a key goal of labour market policy. This report is the sixth in a series of reports looking at how this challenge is being tackled in a number of OECD countries. It shows that Denmark has effective policies in place to quickly assist people who are losing their jobs, in terms of both providing good re-employment support and securing adequate income in periods of unemployment. Despite a positive institutional framework, a sound collaboration between social partners and a favourable policy set-up, there is room to improve policies targeted to displaced workers as not every worker in Denmark can benefit from the same amount of support. In particular, workers affected by collective dismissals in larger firms receive faster and better support than those in small firms or involved in small or individual dismissals. Blue-collar workers are also treated less favourably than white-collar workers. More generally, low-skilled and older displaced workers struggle most to re-enter the labour market.

This report addresses the fundamental challenges that climate change poses to infrastructure owners, who face two major challenges. First, they must ensure continued asset performance under sometimes significantly modified climate conditions that may decrease the present value of their networks or increase maintenance and refurbishment costs. Second, they must build new assets in the context of changing and uncertain climate variables. This creates a risk of over- or under-specification of infrastructure design standards, potentially resulting in non-productive investments or network service degradation. This report investigates strategies that can help transport authorities contain network performance risks inherent in changing patterns of extreme weather.

The NEA Expert Group on Fukushima Waste Management and Decommissioning R&D (EGFWMD) was established in 2014 to offer advice to the authorities in Japan on the management of large quantities of on-site waste with complex properties and to share experiences with the international community and NEA member countries on ongoing work at the Fukushima Daiichi site. The group was formed with specialists from around the world who had gained experience in waste management, radiological contamination or decommissioning and waste management R&D after the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents. This report provides technical opinions and ideas from these experts on post-accident waste management and R&D at the Fukushima Daiichi site, as well as information on decommissioning challenges.