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Distributed energy resources present important economic and technical advantages for operation and development of power grid. However, the level of their deployment in power systems is still rather low. It is considered that one of the main reasons behind this is their poor integration in electricity market. This paper firstly analyses the main approaches currently being used to address the given problem, namely employment of virtual power plants and application of retail real-time pricing. As an alternative solution the paper then proposes a new framework for electricity retail, which among other benefits encourages new installations and effectively manages high grid penetration of distributed energy resources.

Six countries in Central Amedca and Panama are working together in the SIEPAC project to create an electricity market and to build the first regional interconnection line in Central America, reinforcing the already existing country to country interconnections. The project includes the development of a regional transmission system and the formation and gradual growth of a competitive electricity market.The regional market (MER) will work on top of the national markets and will be governed by a single set of market rules; a regional regulatory agency and a regional market operating entity have been created for it. This paper presents an overview of the Real Time platform which is being implemented and wili provide the system monitoring of the Regional generation and transmission resources and their efficient coordination. The Information System for the SIEPAC regional electricity market integrated by various Systems that are planned for supporting the models and tools that will be available for the Central America Interconnected Regional Market operation are also presented. These works are under development for the SIEPAC Project coordinated by the Executive Unit with headquarters in San Jose, Costa Rica. The main systems designed are presented along with their characteristics illustrating the main guidelines foIlowed during the project development. I. IITRODUCTIONix countries are working together in the SIEPAC project to S create an electricity market and to build the fmt regional interconnection line in Central America, reinforcing the already existing country to country interconnections. The PTOject includes the development of a regional transmission system and the formation and gradual growth of a competitive electricity market. The regional market (MER) will work on top of the six national markets and will be governed by a single set of market rules; a regional regulatory agency and a regional market operating entity that have been created for it.The conceptual model proposed for the Regional Electricity Market (MER), object of the SIEPAC project, consists in the composing of a "seventh market" operating jointly with the six existing markets or national systems, with independent rules and interconnected only in the interchange points defined as boundaries, between national markets and regional market by the Regional Transmission Grid (RTR as known in Spanish). To compose the Market the following aspects are establishedContracts market (regional engagements). Short-term market (spot market), where regional resources are optimized along with auxiliary services market for such services that could be open to challenge, or regulated for such that could not be submitted to challenge. The regional transmission grid (RTR) is first composed by transmission lines belonging to the existing transmission companies in Central America. Afterwards the Regional level transmission projects will complement the RTR that will also be under supervision of the Regional Entity Operator @OR).The market operator @OR) will be responsibl...