COP 28 Proposing a Renewables Grid Academy

Introduction

An accelerated energy transition requires a wider and deeper knowledge of the role of electricity infrastructure for the integration of variable renewable generation. Energy system planning, grid planning and deployment of infrastructure are all essential components for a successful, timely and economically viable energy transition. However, knowledge on how to operate a system largely based on variable renewables is limited as well as difficult to access. Similarly, understanding the reasons, challenges and opportunities of permitting processes, nature protection and public opposition to energy infrastructure, is essential for finding adequate solutions and sustainable approaches. Increased transparency of related energy system planning methods and tools can enable civil society, the public sector, and activist stakeholders to engage with, and co-develop the decarbonised energy system of the future.

By leveraging the scalability of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), online discussion forums and on-site trainings,  the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI), the Open Energy Transition (OET) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) aim to fill the knowledge gaps that are hindering and slowing down variable renewable integration and the build-up of electricity grids. By providing a holistic, interdisciplinary perspective on biodiversity enhancement, decarbonisation, and electricity infrastructure, the Renewables Grid Academy is aiming to increase the field of needed experts and enlarge the community of open energy system modellers.

On 5 December 2023 at the IUCN – Unite for Nature Pavilion at COP28 in Dubai, the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (@IUCN) proposed the ‘Renewables Grid Academy: Empowering Grid Planning and Deployment with Open-Source Solutions’.

Those attending COP28 were invited to attend this event to hear from experts in the energy transition and electricity infrastructure on why democratised knowledge energy system planning is key for meeting decarbonisation targets.