The National Electricity Regulatory Authority (ANRE) is embarking on one of the most strategic projects in energy regulation in Morocco: the comprehensive overhaul of the electricity pricing system, set to take effect from March 1, 2027. This technical reform is part of a significant evolution in the economic framework of the sector, within a gradually opening market and an accelerated energy transition.
Restoring the Economic Credibility of Tariffs
The central goal outlined by the ANRE is to establish clear, understandable, and predictable tariffs that accurately reflect the real costs of electricity infrastructure, correct existing distortions, and ensure the long-term viability of public electricity services. The reform also aims to strengthen the credibility of the pricing framework to secure the massive investments needed for network development, integration of renewable energies, and the growth of new electrical uses.
To support this overhaul, the ANRE plans to mobilize specialized technical assistance to review pricing methodologies and key access tariffs for networks.
An Expanded Pricing Scope
The reform will cover all the structural components of electricity pricing, notably:
- The tariff for using the national electrical transport network.
- Compensation for system services.
- Tariffs for using medium-voltage distribution networks.
- The contribution related to distribution services as stipulated by Law No. 82-21.
- The purchase tariff for excess electricity produced from renewable sources, under Laws No. 13-09 and No. 82-21.
Through this expanded scope, the ANRE aims to build new pricing structures tailored to the specificities of the Moroccan electrical system and its development prospects in the medium and long term.
Incorporating Energy Transition Challenges
The reform explicitly integrates the new challenges linked to the energy transition. The regulator seeks to identify incentive-based pricing levers to better value usage flexibility, energy storage, and the active participation of network users. The examination of differentiated pricing options aims to accompany technological transformations while preserving the economic sustainability of the infrastructure.
Reform within a Long-Term Trajectory
This initiative is part of a dynamic that has been underway for more than a decade, under the High Royal Directions, making energy transition a strategic priority. The legal framework has been progressively strengthened through Law No. 13-09 on renewable energies, Law No. 48-15 establishing the ANRE, and Law No. 82-21 regarding self-production.
Today, the Moroccan electricity market operates under a dual regime: a regulated market dominated by the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE), which supplies nearly 90% of electricity, and an open market for renewable electricity producers, who are allowed to sell directly to certain customers through regulated access to networks.
Preparing for a Controlled Market Opening
By consolidating and harmonizing existing pricing approaches, the ANRE is preparing a robust and non-discriminatory framework capable of facilitating the gradual opening of the market, the rise of renewable energies, integration of storage, and the emergence of new electrical uses. Discreet in form, this pricing reform thus represents a decisive lever for the competitiveness, supply security, and sustainability of the Moroccan electricity system by 2027 and beyond.
Source: Le Matin