Is the Future Electric? : Decarbonising the UK Energy Sector

Thursday, September 22, 2011

On behalf of the British Institute of Energy Economics , it is our pleasure to announce the BIEE's forthcoming one day conference Is the Future Electric ? which will be held at BIS conference centre in London on the 22 September 2011.

Conference Theme

The long-term decarbonisation of the UK energy system is going to transform the way we use and produce energy. However, there is still uncertainty over what this long-term future looks like, or how we will reach it. Many of the pathways place a strong reliance on electrification of the heat and transport sector in the long-term alongside a rapid decarbonisation of our power generation mix. However, this view is not shared by all.

The aim of the conference is to bring together recognised experts from industry academia and government to debate the options for the transformation of the UK economy. Is electrification inevitable or do viable alternatives exist for the heat and transport sector? What barriers – commercial, technological and regulatory – must be overcome to deliver any of these futures? And what can we learn from international experience?

The topics that will be covered are:

Alternative Pathways
Is electrification inevitable?
Decarbonising Heat
Is electrification the answer? Is there flexibility in heat demand? Are support mechanisms sufficient/appropriate?
Decarbonising Transport
Progress on electric vehicles; battery electric and plug-in hybrids and/or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles; what infrastructure is required; how quickly can we expect to displace liquid fuels; what role for biofuels?
Delivering Zero Carbon Electricity
Is the electricity sector geared up to deliver the change? Will EMR work? Is Grid ready to invest? Is the demand-side integrated in this ?

The format for each session will consist of 15 minutepresentationsfrom each speaker followed by an opendiscussion amongst thespeakers and audience, moderated by the chair.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Committee
Prof. Jim Watson BIEE Chair ,SPRU, University of Sussex
Dr. Gareth Davies, BIEE Vice Chair, Poyry
Adrian Gault , Chief Economist , The Committee on Climate Change

http://biee.meeting.org.uk/