Public Engagement for Energy Infrastructure

Achieving international climate and energy goals will require a rapid and profound transformation of our energy system. Considering this process affects people all over the world, public engagement is therefore crucial to ensure that society’s views, needs and concerns are considered and that a truly just and inclusive energy transition is pursued. To facilitate this, the Engage4Energy project focuses on creating guidance on how public engagement can be promoted within the context of building renewable energy and grid infrastructure. Over the past years and decades, many participation and involvement processes and practices have been developed, but no comprehensive overview of factors for success/failure exists. 

The task in a nutshell

Phase 2 of the task builds upon the work done for Phase 1, which evaluated past and current participatory actions and drew lessons for effective engagement, including useful formats and degrees of involvement.
Phase 2 of the Task focuses on meaningful public engagement in the development of emerging energy solutions such as hydrogen, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and small-scale nuclear. The task will:
(i) Provide an overview of existing evidence on public participation opportunities, practices, and prospects for emerging energy technologies.
(ii) Explore differences in public engagement formats and preferences between renewable energy developments and emerging technologies, based on both experience and expectations.
(iii) Develop a set of best-practice principles to guide public participation in diverse types of energy development projects, highlighting key success factors and lessons learned across contexts.

User-Centred Energy Systems (UsersTCP) is part of the IEA Technology Collaboration Programme.