On 10 February, Spain announced the approval of the law (Real Decreto 88/2026) that regulates the figure of the independent aggregator for the first time.
This regulatory milestone marks a decisive step forward in the dynamism of the electricity system. It officially recognises a key player that allows to integrate the flexibility and facilitate the active participation of consumers and small producers in the energy market.
What is an aggregator? And what is its function?
An aggregator is an intermediary that groups together the production or consumption of multiple participants to operate jointly in the electricity market.
In practical terms, it acts as an integrator of distributed resources, combining the energy or flexibility of various assets to achieve the necessary scale to enable their participation in markets that would otherwise be inaccessible to them individually.
The aggregator can:
- Group small producers together to market their energy as if it came from a single larger asset.
- Group consumers or storage assets together to offer flexibility services to the electricity system.
- Optimise distributed resources (flexible demand, self-consumption, batteries) based on economic and operational signals.
During periods of system stress, such as peaks in demand, the aggregator responds to signals from the system operator, Red Eléctrica (REE), contributing to the balance between consumption and generation and ensuring the stability of the grid.
With the approval of this regulation, consumers will be able to contract the services of an aggregator without having to renounce their supply contract with their retailer, which facilitates the adoption of the model and promotes competition.
Next steps
Following the approval of the regulation:
- Red Eléctrica will have two months to define the operating procedure for the aggregation model.
- The National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) will have three months to adapt the necessary information exchange systems to enable the effective participation of aggregators.
- Subsequently, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) will publish, by ministerial order, the centralised aggregation model, including the correction and compensation mechanisms in settlements between aggregators and retailers.
These steps will be essential to ensure the orderly and effective implementation of the new regulations.
Conclusions
The transition to a more dynamic, decentralised and sustainable electricity system requires the collaboration of all actors: operators, distributors, aggregators, consumers and industry.
The measure adopted by the government seeks to incorporate new flexibility resources into the electricity system in view of the growing integration of renewable generation and to allow consumers to play a more active role.
The aggregator emerges as a strategic figure: it optimises existing resources and reduces systemic costs, reinforcing the stability and competitiveness
