A counterbid is part of the redispatch process on the congestion market. A bid and a counterbid together resolve a congestion situation while maintaining balance on the electricity grid.
When grid congestion is expected today or tomorrow in a specific area, the relevant grid operator sends a market message asking market parties in that area to either increase or reduce their electricity consumption. This changes the expected usage in that area compared to previous forecasts.
If less electricity is consumed in the congested area than originally forecast, then generation elsewhere must also be reduced — otherwise, an imbalance will occur. That is why every market message always includes a request for a matching counterbid outside the congested area, equal in volume to the bid within the congestion zone.
