The Task in a nutshell

Given the risks of anthropogenic climate change, reducing carbon dioxide emissions is a core policy priority. Scientists stress that achieving international climate and energy goals requires a transformation of energy systems, a socio-technical transition that affects people’s daily lives. For this transition to be just and inclusive, public involvement is essential to address societal needs and concerns.

Public engagement is now a political priority in many countries, as it fosters acceptance of decarbonisation policies and enhances local co-benefits. The EU similarly places public acceptance at the heart of modernising infrastructure to ensure secure, affordable, and clean energy. However, as clean energy projects move closer to communities, citizens and companies, it raises questions and concerns. Energy infrastructure encompasses a broad range of technologies, but each technology presents unique opportunities for public engagement.

In Phase 1, led by the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP) and the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI), our research on renewable energy and grid infrastructure showed that public engagement is critical to secure support and create ownership for energy infrastructure projects. We found that lack of trust, capacities and awareness are the main barriers and recommended that policymakers:

(i) provide resources for meaningful engagement,
(ii) support capacity building on how-to engage,
(iii) communicate transparently, and
(iv) share decision-making power across governance levels.

Phase 2 broadens this scope to other energy infrastructure developments, including green hydrogen, carboncapture systems, and new forms of nuclear. These often face resistance due to knowledge gaps, underscoring the need for stronger public engagement. Scholars further note the lack of qualitative and co-designed participatory approaches for these technologies. Building on the lessons learned from Phase I, this phase sets four objectives:

(i) By leveraging the guidance of Phase 1 for a unified energy engagement strategy, Phase 2 will identify and develop international best practices for successful public engagement strategies;

(ii) By comparing the best practices identified in Phase 1 for established energy technologies, Phase 2 will determine how these best practices differ when applied for emerging technologies;

(iii) In Phase 2, the community of practice formed in Phase 1 will be expanded to include researchers, policymakers and industry leaders, emphasising the intersection of public engagement and energy infrastructures;

(iv) Phase 2 will facilitate collaboration with other Tasks created by Users TCP, to ensure that synergies are created across their research programmes.

Overview of the steps we will take during the implementation of this Task

The work programme is divided into six work packages (WPs). They are:

(0) Project management
 This activity will develop a research plan and conceptual framework for the task, in addition to guiding the other work packages. 

(1) Literature review of public engagement in emerging energy technologies

The Task will provide a short review of literature from academia and practice to explore the current knowledge and case studies on public engagement for hydrogen, advanced nuclear, and CCUS]  technologies (WP1). The review will also take into account specific case studies developed in Europe and globally regarding piloting of these technologies in various energy and industrial settings.

(2) Online survey

The survey will collect data on public attitudes towards different energy technologies, perceived challenges and opportunities for participation, as well as perceived possibilities and preferences for engagement styles. The survey will depict first differences between more advanced and emerging energy technologies.  

(3) Stakeholder interviews

Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from policymaking, NGOs, industry and academia will explore drivers and barriers of participation, as well as preferred ways of engagement. The interviews will enable to identify critical differences between well-known and emerging technologies. 

(4) Best practice principles

This activity will develop best practice principles for effective public engagement in energy infrastructure projects, considering different forms of participation, different energy infrastructures and technologies’ requirements and impacts in the local communities and contexts. The recommendations will be evidence-based and context-specific in nature to provide practical advice to government and organisations on how to meaningfully and effectively engage the public in energy infrastructure developments. 

(5) Communication and engagement

This will include the active engagement the community of practice, established in Phase I, to frame our research and validate our findings. The Task will present the outcomes at different occasions, including the workshops, online platforms and online webinars. 

Overview of planned outputs

This Task will produce the following outputs:

•      D1 Research Plan and Analysis Framework (month 2).

•      D2 Literature Review Report (month 5).

•      D3 Literature Review Summary (month 5).

•      D4 Survey Findings Report (month 9).

•      D5 Survey Findings Summary (month 9).

•      D6 In-person interim findings workshop with participating countries, with the option to join remotely (month 9).

•      D7 Interview Findings Report(month 12).

•      D8 Interview Findings Summary (month 12).

•      D9 Best Practice Principles Summary (month 13).

•      D10 Best Practice Principles (month 13).

•      D11 Workshop for funding countries on best practice principles (month 14).

Phase 2 of the Public Engagement for Energy Infrastructure Task introduces novel empirical research on the involvement of the public in emerging energy technologies, which are expected to gain increasing importance in the coming years. Participants will benefit from expert insights derived from stakeholder interviews, as well as from survey findings capturing public opinions and preferences within their respective countries.

The Task also brings together a multidisciplinary network of experts from the energy industry, academia, international non-profit organisations, and policymaking institutions. Through this collaboration, participants will have access to a unique expert community committed to developing and promoting best practice guidelines for the effective engagement of citizens in the planning and implementation of energy infrastructure.

All outputs of the Task (see Deliverables) will be co-created with participating countries, ensuring that the resulting recommendations and tools are directly relevant, applicable, and adaptable to their national contexts and policy frameworks.

Join the Engage4Energy community of practice, an expert community that is committed to developing and promoting best practice guidelines for the effective engagement of citizens in the planning and implementation of energy infrastructure.

By joining the community you can:

-Receive news with updates and insights from the community and have the chance to share content and case studies.
-The possibility to participate in workshops, training sessions and interviews!