A well-developed energy infrastructure - the cables that transport electricity and the pipelines that transport molecules - is a pre-requisite for a successful clean energy transition. Yet, the planning and building of energy infrastructure has not received the attention it deserves with most policy debates focussing on the scaling of renewable energies or on market rules for power, gas, and hydrogen.
One big shortcoming is that infrastructure planning in Europe is still done separately for cables and pipelines. The power, heat, hydrogen, and transport maps should be looked at together, since electrification plays a leading role in the decarbonisation of all sectors. Power grids and offshore interconnectors will need to be built faster to correspond to the renewable energy deployment needs, while investments in energy storage and carbon capture and storage as well as in the flexibilisation and digitisation of the energy system need to be scaled up significantly.
At this event, we will discuss how moving away from fossil fuels is more than just a fuel change - it is a transformation of the way we design, build and invest in the infrastructure for a net-zero future. The event is organised by Agora Energiewende together with the Regulatory Assistance Project, Energy Cities, and Foresight Climate and Energy.
No registration is required for digital participation in the event.
