Negative electricity prices return to Europe

During the third week of April, most major European electricity markets, including the Portuguese and Spanish markets, experienced negative prices, with some days showing zero or negative rates. The analysis by AleaSoft Energy Forecasting revealed this trend, particularly over the Easter weekend. The Belgian, Dutch, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish markets were all affected, contrasting with the preceding week when no negative prices were recorded. The British, Italian, and Nordic markets managed to avoid negative figures during this period. Additionally, the average weekly electricity prices decreased in the British, French, Italian, Nordic, Portuguese, and Spanish markets, while they increased in the Belgian, Dutch, and German markets. The Portuguese and Spanish markets had the lowest average prices, at €12.90/MWh and €13.59/MWh, respectively, with the Italian market maintaining the highest average price at €101.87/MWh. Despite this, Italy recorded its lowest daily price since July of the previous year. AleaSoft attributed the price drop to decreased electricity demand and increased wind energy production. However, it predicts that prices will rise in most markets in the upcoming week due to an increase in demand and a decrease in wind energy production. The consultancy also observed a decline in solar energy production across various European countries last week. While Germany and Spain are expected to see a reversal in this trend during the fourth week of April, Italy is likely to continue experiencing a decrease in solar energy production.