The use of economic and energy system modelling for energy policy analysis: Establishing links across the energy system- and economic-modelling communities

The ambitious climate targets set by governments and the interconnection between energy and economic objectives requires careful policy planning and assessment. Among other instruments, energy and climate specialists often rely on models to inform their policy recommendations. Whole energy system models, like TIMES, and energy-economic models, such as Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) have been widely used to guide government decisions and assist the implementation of policies.
The University of Strathclyde’s Centre for Energy Policy and Fraser of Allander Institute are currently investigating best practices and challenges on the use and links of TIMES/CGE models for the analysis of future climate and energy scenarios in Scotland.
Each presentation provided a valuable point of view in the debate. Although Portugal, Sweden, Ireland and Scotland may have differing policy objectives, the presentations have highlighted common methodological practices and challenges that are applicable across different countries and regions.