The PAC Project is an RGI-led project aiming to provide a platform for greater involvement of civil society in energy system planning, unite stakeholders around the need for high-RES energy scenarios and produce a Paris Agreement-compatible scenario for European energy infrastructure to guide planning towards a renewables-based energy system.
In its first phase, the PAC project – “Paris Agreement Compatible Scenarios for Energy Infrastructure”– has been established to develop a future energy scenario for Europe which is compatible with the Paris Agreement. The scenario, developed by civil society, shall guide European energy infrastructure planning and help to ensure that we are planning and building the infrastructure necessary for a future low carbon, renewables-based energy system.
The PAC Scenario was guided by three goals:
• 100% renewables in Europe by 2040 in all sectors
• A 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
• Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040
In addition to this, the first phase of the PAC project brought together stakeholders and experts who usually do not interact with each other and established a close exchange with ENTSOs on the topic of the TYNDP scenarios. As an output, RGI published a Request to Adapt European Energy Planning Scenarios.
In its second phase, the PAC project focuses on investigating the technical, political and societal framework conditions that must be established in order to implement an ambitious and rapid energy system decarbonisation. This energy transition must: increase the share of renewables; achieve high level of energy security; and, enable environmental compatibility, competitiveness and social fairness.
The PAC project is also a capacity building opportunity for stakeholders who wish to expand their knowledge of developing and modelling energy scenarios. The second phase of PAC will continue to facilitate discussions on pathways to reaching the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target between stakeholders who usually do not associate with each other.
The PAC consortium consists of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe (+170 NGO members across Europe), European Environmental Bureau (EEB) (+170 NGO members across Europe), Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) (15 NGO and 13 Transmission System Operator members) and REN21 (+80 members with an international focus from civil society, academia and research, governments, industry and intergovernmental associations).
Concretely, the first phase of PAC has achieved its four main objectives:
1) Review the TYNDP scenarios and assumptions
2) Develop a Paris Agreement compatible energy scenario for Europe
3) Work with energy modellers to share knowledge and improve capacity
4) Raise global awareness about the importance of grids and collaborative scenario development
This page aims to give an overview of core activities of the project. For more extensive information on the project, its background, TYNDP review process and more, please visit the PAC website.
Dr. Andrzej Ceglarz
Director - Energy Systems
Director - Energy Systems
t: +49 30 233211014
RGI gratefully acknowledges the EU LIFE funding support:
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the LIFE Programme. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
