ACER unveils first EU-wide dataset on investment costs for long-term electricity system modelling

In brief

The EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has published the first open-access, EU-wide dataset on the cost of new entry for electricity resources. The EU CONE Dataset provides consistent economic assumptions for long-term power-system modelling, including estimated capital expenditure, operating and maintenance costs, and financing costs for generation technologies and demand-side flexibility. ACER has also released an interactive dashboard to make the information easier to examine. The initiative addresses the previous lack of harmonised European data, which made comparisons between countries difficult and risked producing adequacy assessments based on inconsistent investment assumptions.

The dataset is intended to improve assessments of whether new generation and flexibility resources are likely to be developed, whether existing plants will remain economically viable, and how investment or retirement decisions could affect each Member State’s future electricity mix. It can also support calculations that balance the cost of additional capacity against the consequences of unmet demand. ACER refined the dataset following a public consultation in February 2026, incorporating feedback on capital costs, fixed operating costs, weighted average cost of capital and demand-side response categories. It may be used in European and national resource-adequacy assessments, reliability-standard calculations and applications for accelerated approval of capacity mechanisms under the EU’s State aid framework.

Source: ACER

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