Nordic Energy Transitions: Past, Present and Future

Current shifts in energy production and consumption generate complex uncertainties with far-reaching and potentially long-lasting impacts. Understanding requires understanding of a combination of physical, technical, economic, social and cultural effects interacting in multiple dimensions to affect opportunities for economic growth and general prosperity. Comprehension of the processes of technological change is generally underdeveloped in economics and as such, vital human dimensions are often under-examined in examining success or failure of energy transitions. Within the broad framework of energy economics and energy policy, we propose a series of multidisciplinary workshops that build a deeper understanding of the opportunities and hazards associated with energy transitions by first examining past and present transitions and then using those insights to explore the coming future. Thus the topics of the workshops are: 1. Past Energy Transitions: Fueling Growth and the Environmental Consequences; Esbjerg, DK, Q1 2017 2. Present Energy Transitions: The multiple dimensions of energy scarcity and current risks; Oslo, NO, Q4 2017 3. Future Energy Transitions: resource efficient energy system from production to smarter networks and consumers; Tampere, FI, Q3 2018. The three 2.5 day workshops will bring together interdisciplinary researchers for keynote talks, research presentations, and networking for the purpose of developing grant applications and other research projects.

Engelsk