in association with
UK Energy Research Centre
St John's College Oxford, England
22-23 September 2010
Main Sponsors
Parallel Sessions
We are planning to hold three plenary sessions and eight parallel sessions and a student poster session, the "Research Roadshow". The plenary sessions will address the key conference theme, which is asking whether the current market arrangements, in particular, the preference for market mechanisms, will deliver the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions sought by policy makers. This will draw on the expertise of thought leaders from the academic political and commercial worlds. We have chosen themes for the parallel sessions that will subject some of the ideas behind current policy to critical scrutiny. The sessions will therefore address the following:
Creating New Markets to support a Low Carbon Economy
Unless significant investment in our energy system is forthcoming, greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets will not be achieved. Such investment is required in end use efficiency, energy networks and new sources low carbon supply. Investment choices - whether they by energy suppliers, by individuals and communities, or by regulated energy network providers - will depend on a range of factors including volatile energy and carbon prices, regulations and policy incentives. This session will, in effect, test the assumption that markets will deliver the investment required - and will ask to what extent markets need to be redesigned and/or other policy approaches implemented
Supporting Renewable Energy
The potential benefits, expansion of, and investment in renewable energy offers in terms of the environment, enhanced security, industrial and employment opportunities all act to add multiple layers of complexity as to what factors must be considered in adopting and designing policy relating to renewable energy. The papers in this session explore different elements of these complexities; examining strategies for rapid development and innovation, capture of the attendant benefits, efficient application of support and stakeholder behaviour in light of applied policy.
Enabling Behavioural Change
A significant part of the targets for reductions in greenhouse gas is to be achieved by changing people’s behaviour to more energy efficient and less carbon intensive practices. Increased awareness of energy consumption, low carbon lifestyles, and personal carbon allowances have all been proposed as instruments for altering energy behaviour. What is the evidence that proposed measures can alter behaviour? Can they support significant behavioural changes over the long term? Is there a consensus that changing people’s behaviour within liberalised energy markets can deliver the expected greenhouse gas reductions, as planned?
Transition Scenarios
Achievement of the “20:20:20” targets by 2020 will not be straightforward; nor will be the longer term 80% reduction in emissions by 2050. Although the options to achieve the 2020 goals are rapidly diminishing, those for the later date are not; or has the recession made the task that much easier? This session will examine alternative scenarios, with their implications for the structure of the energy economy and the measures required to achieve them. Of particular interest will be the implications of recent developments in the US shale gas market, and its ramifications for the European, Russian and LNG gas markets.
Global Energy Issues
Whilst the energy economies of countries are all different, influenced by the varied economic, geographic and demographic drivers, there are some experiences that have relevance for all. For example, some “liberalised” markets in the Americas are taking centralised approaches to provide peak power capacity. How have the different countries coped with the recession? Is the result of the Copenhagen meeting going to change the rate of renewable energy capacity construction in the developed and developing world?
Oil and Gas Markets
Oil and gas will continue to play major roles in the energy mix for the foreseeable future. This session deals with some important policy issues, both for governments and companies.
Investment in Electricity Markets
Underlying the liberalisation wave of the past two decades was the implicit assumption that the price signal would be the most effective means of signalling the choice of generation technology and target commissioning date. Experience of the last decade, as concerns over security of supply and the politicians’ wish to decarbonise has led many to question this assumption. The papers in this session examine various aspects of electricity market operation with specific regard to investment incentives.
Modelling
Modelling is in the heart of decision making in the energy arena and helps stakeholders and policy makers to learn from the past and prepare for the future. This traditionally popular session will examine new insights and further developments in economic and econometric modelling of agents and markets in the energy sector. What new lessons can be learned from a decade that witnessed the largest to-date energy price crisis and severest post-war recession? What can our models add to our knowledge of the dynamics of energy markets in periods of transition and profound uncertainty?