The UK economy should be a net zero economy by 2050. Academic, government and industry experts acknowledge that this net zero future can have come in many forms, not least because of the many trajectories that can lead us to it. In the face of a very concrete target and a world of uncertainties, we have scenarios whose purpose is to help us think of both the certainties and uncertainties.

This session will discuss if and how long-term scenarios can help us figure out what will be different next month, next year, or next time the Olympics happen in Europe. In this session we will discuss scenarios as devices to guide discussions on the near-term future of electricity, with implications across other industrial sectors and energy consumption technologies, including on transportation, cities and households.

The UK Future Energy Scenarios are still unique by international comparison as they are produced by the country’s Electricity System Operator. Thus, the session will also offer a window into one of the frontiers of electricity sector planning.

On the panel:

• Jose Maria Valenzuela, Net Zero Fellow, Institute for Science Innovation and Society and Oxford Net Zero
• Sagar Depala, Energy Demand Forecasting Manager, National Grid ESO
• Randolph Brazier, Director of Innovation & Electricity Systems, Energy Networks Association

This event is hybrid. When you sign up, you can choose to attend in-person (at the Oxford Martin School, Oxford, UK) or online via Zoom.