Europe’s path to climate neutrality requires a rapid expansion of clean energy infrastructure — from renewables and grids to emerging solutions like hydrogen, CCUS and advanced nuclear. Yet despite growing urgency, emissions from the energy sector continue to rise, highlighting the need to accelerate implementation. Energy transitions are not only technical — they are deeply social. Public trust, perceptions, and participation play a decisive role in whether infrastructure projects succeed or stall.
This session will present new insights from a multi-country survey on how citizens perceive local energy infrastructure developments and how they want to be engaged. Building on this evidence, experts from across Europe will share insights how engagement strategies can be adapted to different technologies and contexts.
Through short inputs, interactive polling, and guided discussion, participants will explore key questions:
- What shapes people’s willingness to engage with established and emerging energy technologies across different contexts?
- Which engagement approaches are most effective — and when are they seen as credible and legitimate?
- How do engagement needs differ between emerging and established technologies, and what can we learn from past experience?
The session will also mark the launch of the Engage4Energy Community of Practice, creating a space for ongoing exchange and collaboration on public engagement for energy infrastructure across Europe.
Speakers
- Nives Della Valle, Senior Expert at the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP)
- Jazaer Dawody, Senior Adviser at Swedish Energy Agency (Sweden)
- Andrzej Ceglarz, Director Energy Systems at Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) (Germany)
- Merryn Thomas, Researcher at University of Exeter (UK)
- Tanja Perko, Senior Researcher at SCK CEN (Belgium)
Moderation:
Diana Süsser, Senior Expert at the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP)
Agenda:
14:00 – 14:05: Welcome and introduction by Diana Süsser
14:05 – 14:20: Presentation and discussion of citizen survey results from the UsersTCP Public Engagement for Energy Infrastructure Task with Nives Della Valle
14:20 – 14:40: Insights on the role of collaboration for participation with Andrzej Ceglarz and Jazaer Dawody
Andrzej Ceglarz: From Commitment to Action in Electricity Grids: Key Progress in the Pact for Engagement
Jazaer Dawody: Role of the public for the integration of hydrogen infrastructure into the Swedish energy system
14:40 -14:50: Insights on community engagement methods with Merryn Thomas and Tanja Perko
Merryn Thomas: Public engagement with underground thermal energy storage: the PUSH-IT project
Tanja Perko: Public Engagement in the Environmental Impact Assessment of Small Modular Reactors
14:50 – 15:00: Discussion and closing remarks
