Project title

Effectiveness of energy system models in local government policy making

Principal investigator

Professor Simone Abram, Durham University

Project team 

• Professor Gordon MacKerron, University of Sussex
• Claire Copeland, University of Sussex
• Dr Chima Anyadike Danes, Durham University

Project summary

CESI is aligning diverse energy system models to investigate the value of an integrated energy system. These models are designed to help inform policy processes and decision-making in the planning and operation of the energy system, which is referred to as decision support.

In this project, we are examining how energy policy is developed and implemented. We are carrying out a comparative case study of two different local councils, to investigate how energy system models are used in practice for policymaking. In this research, we aim to gain insights particularly in relation to climate action, energy policy and energy vulnerabilities.

Project outputs

A new policy brief titled 'Tools for Local Government Net-Zero Decision Making' was published in December 2021. It investigates how local authorities currently access energy information, and the kinds of model or decision-support that would be useful as they embark on increasingly challenging forms of localised energy planning.

Read the policy breif here.