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CenSES annual report 2011
15
Research in 2011
RA3 has presented its work both in academic and in
broader fora, with a PhD dissertation having been
submitted for defence. Some results to highlight
are that both renewable support and ETS may be
successful in the intermediate term but may be in-
sufficient to support the longer term efforts that
transition requires beyond wind and natural gas in
Europe.
Current work focuses on the electricity sector, on
policy evaluation including political economy, ex-
pectations and technological change. A specific
focus on Europe, and on a world in which there is
only partial commitment to climate change policies
is presently emphasized.
The BEEER Conference
A major CenSES event in 2011 was the Bergen
Economics of Energy and Environment Research
(BEEER) conference, where many CenSES and other
researchers presented their research, cosponsored
by NHH, SNF, CenSES partner BKK and others.
In the panel discussion that addressed a broader
audience than just researchers, the topic discussed
was how objectives relate to instrument use in
Norway’s electricity sector, with Statnett’s Auke
Lont and BKK’s Toril Christensen as industry repre-
sentatives. Important issues raised by the industry
representatives were that new intermittent power
will both raise requirements for transmission and
systems and imply power availability in a system
that is not necessarily growing. This question in part
motivated a research proposal, INTREPED , which
was successfully funded from RENERGI and will aug-
ment CenSES resources in this area.
RA 3 is organizing the BEEER conference also in
2012, with an increasing international representa-
tion, topics reflecting broadening work in sectoral
directions, towards international treaties, and to-
wards the interaction with other environmental
challenges.