Workshop den 23.-25. april 2018

The workshop is part of the project: Nordic Energy Transitions: Past, Present and Future, financially supported by the Joint Committee for Nordic research councils in the humanities and social sciences.

 

Marc Hafstead, Resources for the Future, USA

Charles Mason, University of Wyoming, USA

Espen Moe, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway

 

“Present Energy Transitions: The multiple dimensions of energy scarcity and current risks” is the second workshop of three planned workshops on Nordic energy transitions. The workshop will bring together e.g. economists, energy planners, natural scientists, and policy scientists investigating present energy transitions and the combination of market and physical challenges we currently face. These range from renewable energy storage uncertainty to uncertainty over the costs and access of continuing use and development of fossil fuels, in particular the shale gas revolution underway. Further, there are concerns about the physical limits of renewable energy productivity and whether it is possible to maintain or grow standards of living while eliminating fossil fuels and their associated externalities.

 

Within the broad framework of energy economics and energy policy, we are hosting a series of multidisciplinary workshops that build a deeper understanding of the opportunities and hazards associated with energy transitions. This second workshop will examine present transitions. The primary purpose is to identify and provide guidance in understanding the main, inherently interdisciplinary challenges of current energy transitions (e.g. decarbonization, demand side management, decentralization, grid development, smart cities, electric vehicles and new transport fuels, energy efficiency), with a focus on Nordic economies and societies. Many analyses tend to focus on a specific aspect of energy transitions, e.g. engineering challenges. We aim to increase research connections and understanding that examine the full spectrum of human dimensions affecting energy transitions more inclusively.