I follow this here in Germany. The deregulated energy industry is just a monopoly with several companies controlling everything and nobody els has any access so prices remain extremely high and no investments are made(ancient equipment). Access is the reason for separating the production from distribution. Like with telecoms they want to force the access to lines, if neccessary by taking them away from the big prodcution companies(RWE, Vatenfall,etc.) The big companies corrupt the politicians who play musical chairs between corporate and giovernment jobs and they sit in on the govt. and write the laws
as they please at the country level. So the EU thinks they are the uncorrupted Robin Hood coming to save the day. If what is said here concerning California is true then it won't work. Loads will be sent hither and thither disregardign cpacities and cause massive blackouts.Tjhe spot market here is a corrupted joke as well apparently with manipulation behind the scenes so that energy companies all together control the prices to get the highest possible pürice regardless of generation costs. Nationalization or regulation would be best.

“Without a video the people perish”-Is. 13:24

EU required deregulation in Iceland makes zero sense. Isolated island with unique reliability issues and 280,000 people.

Landsvirkjun was the national power company with the major national grid power lines, almost all of the dams and some geothermal power. Reykjavik City Government ran a competing company (they competed over the suburbs and some energy intensive industry in the area) and most of the geothermal (2/3rd of the population lives near the capital).

A rural co-op owned a few small dams, some feeder transmission lines and rural customers. Bought most of their electricity from Landsvirkjun and talked of buying half of a new geothermal project with Landsvirkjun.

Landsvirkjun has been split between transmission & generation (bad with reliability such an issue) and everyone has been deregulated. Landsvirkjun no longer keeps a safety surplus of generation. Landsvirkjun & Reykjavik Energy still compete over the suburbs & industry in the area (no change). Landsvirkjun is no longer interested in a joint geothermal project with the rural co-op.

I really see no benefit for deregulation is such a small market with so few players. EVERYBODY knows everybody, they used to get along (2 gov't owned utilities & rural co-op).

Alan