The second session of Connecting Energies 2024 explored the key approaches and enabling technologies that electricity grid operators used to balance electricity demand and supply. Load balancing and flexibility ensured the electricity grid operated safely by managing electricity during periods of surplus and scarcity while maintaining frequency and voltage.

As we moved towards an energy system dominated by renewables, managing variability and uncertainty became critical, requiring new strategies to handle fluctuations in electricity generation. Grid flexibility solutions such as storage, demand-side management, and real-time monitoring were essential for dealing with these challenges.

Additionally, increasingly demand-driven decarbonisation approaches aimed at aligning renewable electricity generation with demand on an hourly basis, ensuring that every hour of consumption was powered by carbon-free sources. These practices, developed under the umbrella of the so-called 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) approach, had the potential to accelerate decarbonisation but required careful planning and implementation.

The session also addressed current and future trends and technological advancements in electricity grid management to ensure the grid remained stable and resilient in the face of increasing renewable energy integration. Learning these aspects enabled civil society organisations to better understand solutions that had a positive impact on the energy transition at large.