The Dutch electricity price for the active monthly contract fell 15% to EUR 78/MWh, partly due to the increase in solar energy production. The shift to daylight-saving time on March 30 causes solar generation to occur later in the day, which lowers electricity prices in the evening and has a downward effect on monthly contract prices.
Research is being conducted into a possible split of the Dutch bidding zones, whereby a northeastern and a southwestern zone could be created. In a smaller bidding zone, the role of interconnection capacity becomes more significant. Additionally, a potential split would have implications for market liquidity.
On the ETS market, the CO2 price has dropped to EUR 70/ton. From a technical analysis perspective, higher price floors are being established in the market. There are rumors of a potential linkage of the UK ETS and the EU ETS, which could put downward pressure on the EU ETS price. Furthermore, the European Commission is revising the CBAM system in order to reduce administrative burdens and has postponed the introduction of CO2 certificates by one year.