Counter bid

A counter bid is the order placed outside the congestion area to maintain the national balance on the electricity grid. Together, the bid and counter bid (buy and sell) resolve a congestion situation without creating imbalance. The counter bid is an essential part of the redispatch process.

Why is a counter bid needed?

When congestion is expected today or tomorrow (intraday), the grid operator sends a market message via GOPACS. Market parties in the congestion area are asked to temporarily adjust their consumption or generation.

But every local adjustment impacts the national balance:

• less consumption locally, or
• more generation locally

changes the expected energy flows. Without correction, this would create a surplus or shortage elsewhere.

That is why the market message always also requests an equal and opposite counter bid outside the congestion area.

How do bids and counter bids work together?

A local bid (buy or sell) is matched by the GOPACS algorithm with a non-local counter bid in the opposite direction:

• less consumption inside the area → less generation outside the area
• more consumption inside the area → more generation outside the area

This keeps the national balance intact—while resolving congestion exactly where it occurs.

A counter bid is not a standalone action, but a critical part of redispatch. Only together do bids and counter bids ensure a stable, reliable and future-proof electricity system.

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