Electrical penalties for lack of smart metering: what changes in 2026 for producers and grid operators

Key data

If your company operates generation, consumption or grid management installations on the mainland and has an obligation to send real-time data to Red Eléctrica, this resolution directly affects you. Until now, the regulatory framework provided for penalties for not sending smart meters or not being assigned to a control center, but the mechanism to enforce them was not fully enabled. That changes today.

The Resolution of June 19, 2026 from the CNMC modifies operating procedures P.O.9.2 and P.O.14.4 to close that gap and allow the actual settlement of those penalties through the electrical market adjustment system.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution modifies two operating procedures of the mainland electrical system. Each one fulfills a different function in this change:

Additionally, the resolution incorporates two relevant clarifications:

• Link installations are expressly included in the scope of application of these obligations.
• The regulation aligns with EU Regulation 2017/1485, which regulates the operational security of the European electrical system, thereby strengthening the legal framework that supports the penalties.

In simple terms: before there was an obligation to send real-time data and be assigned to a control center, but the mechanism to collect penalties for non-compliance was not fully operational. This resolution closes that gap.

Economic and operational impact

The main impact is the materialization of economic risk for non-compliance. Penalties, which before could remain on paper, are now enforceable through the electrical market adjustment system, the same mechanism used for other system collections and payments.

The specific operational effects are:

• Greater economic exposure for installations that do not have guaranteed continuity of real-time smart meter transmission.
• Risk of repeated penalties: continued non-compliance accumulates enforceable penalties, not just warnings.
• Expansion of affected perimeter: link installations, which could remain in a gray area, are now expressly obligated.
• Review of smart metering systems: improvements in P.O.9.2 validation criteria may cause non-compliance that was not previously detected to now be recorded.

The resolution does not publish specific penalty amounts in the available regulatory summary, but the settlement mechanism through the adjustment system implies that collections are executed automatically, without the need for a separate sanctioning procedure.

Who does it affect?

• Electrical producers and generators on the mainland grid with obligations for assignment to control centers and smart meter transmission.
• Consumers with obligations for real-time data exchange with Red Eléctrica.
• Grid operators that must exchange information with Red Eléctrica de España.
• Link installations, now expressly included in the scope of application.
• Technical and compliance managers of any of the above installations who manage smart metering systems and communication with control centers.

Outside the scope of this resolution are non-mainland installations and those that do not have a regulatory obligation to send real-time data to Red Eléctrica.

Practical example

A company managing a wind farm on the mainland has the obligation to send smart meters in real time to Red Eléctrica and be assigned to a control center. For several months, a failure in its communication system causes recurring interruptions in data transmission.

Before this resolution: the non-compliance was recorded, but the mechanism to translate it into an enforceable economic penalty was not fully enabled in P.O.14.4.

After this resolution: those repeated non-compliances generate penalties that are settled directly through the electrical market adjustment system, automatically, without the need for an additional sanctioning procedure. The company sees the cost reflected in its system settlement.

The same scenario applies to a link installation that, now being expressly included in the scope of P.O.9.2, becomes subject to smart meter validation criteria and, therefore, to P.O.14.4 penalties if it fails to comply.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify if your installation is obligated: Check if your installation (including link installations) has an obligation for assignment to a control center and real-time smart meter transmission according to the updated P.O.9.2.
2. Audit smart metering systems: Review that communication systems and data transmission to Red Eléctrica work correctly and continuously. The new P.O.9.2 validation criteria may detect failures that previously went unnoticed.
3. Confirm assignment to the corresponding control center: Ensure that the assignment is current and correctly registered. It is one of the two non-compliances that generate enforceable penalties.
4. Evaluate economic risk from past non-compliance: If there have been interruptions in data transmission, consult with your technical or legal advisor if they can generate enforceable penalties under the new P.O.14.4 framework.
5. Establish a contingency protocol: Define what to do if the smart metering system fails, to minimize the time of non-compliance and, therefore, exposure to accumulated penalties.
6. Review contracts with smart metering system providers: If the failure can be attributed to an external provider, verify if contracts cover liability arising from penalties for non-compliance.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-14009