The PAC Project aims to provide a platform for greater involvement of civil society in energy system planning. It unite stakeholders around the need energy scenarios with a high share of renewables. As an outcome, it produced a Paris Agreement-compatible scenario for European energy infrastructure to guide planning towards a renewables-based energy system.
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, under development by civil society organisations, 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 scenario, under development by civil society organisations, 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 is guided by three goals:
01
100% renewables in Europe by 2040 in all sectors
02
A 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
03
Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040
Project partners
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).
First phase of the project
In its first phase, 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.
Concretely, the first phase of PAC has achieved its four main objectives:
01
Review the TYNDP scenarios and assumptions
02
Develop a Paris-Agreement-compatible energy scenario for Europe
03
Work with energy modellers to share knowledge and improve capacity
03
Raise global awareness about the importance of grids and collaborative scenario development
Second phase of the project
In its second phase, the PAC project focused on investigating the technical, political and societal framework conditions that must be established in order to implement an ambitious and rapid energy system decarbonisation. In this context, the project sought to define challenges and solutions to ensure the energy transition increases the share of renewables, achieves a high level of energy security, and enables environmental compatibility, competitiveness and social fairness.
Building on the work of the first phase, the second phase of the PAC project had the following objectives:
01
Initiate a dialogue on the topic of ambitious energy scenarios with emitters, grid operators and the high-level expert groups. This included clarifying to what extent and in which time frames these stakeholders are relying on electrification or increased use of hydrogen, other gases such as methane and other fuels.
02
Continue modeller exchanges to support the development of models and modelling processes capable of reflecting the future complexity of the global energy system; continue the constructive relationship with the ENTSOs.
03
Increase the capacity of NGOs to contribute to energy policy discussions regarding the path towards Paris Agreement compatible grid infrastructure based on data and assessment of opportunities and barriers. This includes strengthening exchanges with policymakers to encourage the creation of frameworks for the implementation of ambitious scenarios.
04
Expanding exchanges with international institutions, increasing their capacity to drive the achievement of the Paris climate targets at the global level forward.
05
Disseminate the findings generated in the above-mentioned dialogues to various key stakeholders (grid planning, policy makers, international community). In particular, the PAC project aims to elevate findings on how key players in the European energy system (large consumers, grid operators, institutions) plan to achieve at least the 55% target by 2030 and information on the influence of citizens on scenario development and infrastructure planning.
As a whole, the PAC project also provided capacity-building opportunities for stakeholders who wished to expand their knowledge of developing and modelling energy scenarios.
contact
Dr. Andrzej Ceglarz
andrzej@renewables-grid.euDirector – Energy Systems
Morjana Moreira dos Anjos
On leave, please contact techno@renewables-grid.eu
Manager – Socio-Energy Systems
Nathália Pimentel
nathalia@renewables-grid.euManager – Communication & Energy Systems
Dr. Andrzej Ceglarz
andrzej@renewables-grid.euDirector – Energy Systems
Morjana Moreira dos Anjos
On leave, please contact techno@renewables-grid.eu
Manager – Socio-Energy Systems
Nathália Pimentel
nathalia@renewables-grid.euManager – Communication & Energy Systems
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