Counsel-review items (open assumptions)

How open assumptions work

Some regulatory questions cannot be resolved by reading the statute alone — they turn on how a particular structure maps to existing categories. The schema flags these as CorpusAssumption records inside the regulatory corpus, each with:

• A globally-unique id (e.g. AR_R2_modular_dc_as_rigi_ampliacion_of_pampa_rda_vpu)
• The interpretive question
• The current_position — pending_counsel_opinion, counsel_confirmed, or counsel_disconfirmed
• A conservative_default the schema assumes until counsel confirms
• The implication_if_disconfirmed — what changes if counsel disagrees with the favourable reading
• counsel_routed_to — the firms the question has been (or should be) sent to

When a rights-engine check depends on an unresolved assumption, it returns conditional (proceeds subject to remaining diligence) or counsel_review (cannot proceed without sign-off) and includes the regulatory_assumption_id in the Verdict's pending_actions.

The five Argentine RED items

These are the live open assumptions in AR@2026-05-06.1. Schema decisions can be made on the conservative defaults; production contracts cannot rely on the favourable reading until counsel confirms.

AR_R1 — Off-grid island exemption from Ley 24.065 Agente classification

Question. Is a true off-grid compute load — co-located with on-site generation, with zero SADI interconnect (no import, no export) — exempt from MEM Agente classification under Ley 24.065?

Why it matters. This is the binary question for the entire stranded-gas-to-compute thesis. If off-grid is exempt, the slot operates entirely outside MEM jurisdiction and avoids CAMMESA's Anexo 24 telemetry burden, the Autogenerador commercial limits, and the wholesale-market participation costs. If not exempt, any backup interconnect drags the slot into the MEM and transforms its economics.

Conservative default (what the schema assumes today). Any SADI interconnect — including emergency-only backup — triggers Autogenerador classification and the full Anexo 24 SCOM/SMEC/SOTR telemetry obligation.

Implication if disconfirmed. The JV must register as Autogenerador with minimal grid interconnect for emergency, and accept the telemetry + reporting load.

Routing. Bruchou & Funes de Rioja; Marval O'Farrell Mairal.

AR_R2 — Modular DC as RIGI Ampliación of Pampa Rincón de Aranda VPU

Question. Does the modular DC + on-site CCGT tolling structure qualify as an Ampliación of the parent Pampa Rincón de Aranda VPU (RIGI USD 4,500M, filed March 2026 under Decreto 105/2026) — or does it require a freestanding VPU?

Why it matters. Qualification as Ampliación inherits the parent's adhesion-date stability anchor and avoids the USD 600M onshore-upstream floor. Disqualification means standing up a new VPU under either AR_RIGI_GENERAL (USD 200M) or AR_RIGI_ONSHORE_UPSTREAM_OIL_GAS (USD 600M).

Conservative default. Structure as a freestanding VPU; do not piggyback the Pampa parent until counsel confirms Ampliación qualification.

Implication if disconfirmed. Cannot inherit Pampa's adhesion-date stability anchor; use a separate VPU and clear the appropriate sector floor independently.

Routing. Bruchou & Funes de Rioja; Marval O'Farrell Mairal.

AR_R3 — Tolling revenue as "exportación" for RIGI Art. 35 FX carve-out

Question. Does tolling/capacity-payment revenue from a foreign hyperscaler tenant to a local VPU qualify as "exportación" for purposes of the FX carve-out in Decreto 749/2024 Art. 35 (free disposition of 20% / 40% / 100% of export proceeds in years 1 / 2 / 3 from puesta en marcha)?

Why it matters. The FX carve-out is the substrate that makes USD-denominated tolling economics work onshore. If tolling does not qualify as export, settlement must go offshore via parent + intercompany services to preserve USD economics — feasible but more complex, and risks BCRA characterization disputes.

Conservative default. Assume NO automatic qualification. Structure revenue offshore via services intercompany until counsel-favourable opinion.

Implication if disconfirmed. Settle revenue offshore via parent + intercompany services. Preserves USD economics; adds structuring complexity and possibly transfer-pricing scrutiny.

Routing. Marval O'Farrell Mairal.

AR_R4 — Self-consumption CCGT avoids Comercializador exposure

Question. Does an on-site CCGT consuming gas extracted from the VPU's own concession (autoconsumo under Decreto 1671/69 Art. 2.b) trigger Comercializador classification under Ley 24.076 Art. 14 when the resulting power (not gas) is sold to a third-party tenant?

Why it matters. Comercializador status drags ENARGAS habilitación, the Art. 63 tasa de fiscalización, and reporting obligations. The schema assumption is that the producer-autoconsumo regime + power-sale-to-third-party is one transaction (gas → power) entirely outside Ley 24.076 — but Art. 14 catches "compra y vende gas natural por cuenta de terceros" and the boundary is interpretive.

Conservative default. Assume the power-sale-to-third-party structure does not trigger Art. 14 — but require explicit ENARGAS confirmation before invoking the exemption in operating accounting.

Implication if disconfirmed. Register the VPU as Comercializador and pay the Art. 63 fiscalización tasa.

Routing. Marval O'Farrell Mairal.

AR_R5 — DC expansion inherits parent consulta state

Question. Does the DC expansion at an existing pad inherit the parent project's consulta previa state under Ley NQN 3.401, or does it require a fresh consulta specifically for the data-center activity?

Why it matters. The Kaxipayiñ test case (March 2025, impugnación of YPF concessions for lack of consulta previa) reads Ley NQN 3.401 expansively — "any administrative act affecting community territory." A fresh consulta for the DC expansion adds 6–12 months minimum to the PERMITS gate.

Conservative default. Assume fresh consulta is required (conservative reading of the Kaxipayiñ precedent).

Implication if disconfirmed. If counsel confirms inheritance, ~6–12 months of process is saved. If counsel disconfirms, integrate the fresh consulta into stage_gate.permits from the inception of the slot.

Routing. Estudio Beccar Varela.

How a Verdict surfaces these

A check that depends on an unresolved assumption returns either conditional or counsel_review:

{
  check: "rigi_eligibility",
  status: "counsel_review",
  detail: "Slot declared as RIGI Ampliación but no parent VPU resolved. Counsel must confirm whether expansion qualifies as Ampliación under Decreto 749/2024 (open assumption AR_R2).",
  authority: "AR-RIGI"
}

The aggregated Verdict's pending_actions will include an entry referencing regulatory_assumption_id: AR_R2, and the requires_counsel_review flag is set.

Adding a new open assumption

When a new interpretive question surfaces:

1. Add a CorpusAssumption record to the relevant jurisdiction file (packages/energy/src/regulatory/<country>.ts) with a globally-unique id.
2. Update the rights-engine check that depends on it to return conditional or counsel_review referencing the assumption id.
3. Issue a new corpus version (<COUNTRY>@<YYYY-MM-DD>.<N>) — never mutate an existing snapshot.
4. Route to counsel; once an opinion lands, update current_position and (if confirmed) loosen the conservative default in a subsequent corpus version.

Source

import { ARGENTINA_CORPUS_2026_05 } from "@dmtr/energy/regulatory";
ARGENTINA_CORPUS_2026_05.open_assumptions.forEach((a) => {
  console.log(a.id, "→", a.current_position);
});