From foresight to implementation: building collaborative ecosystems for distribution grid planning

Abstract

Extended abstract 5-210-26 The energy transition is increasingly shaped at the local and regional level, where electrification, DERs, and climate mitigation and adaptation intersect with territorial development. This work presents findings from a global co-creation project within ISGAN, an IEA Technology Collaboration Program, involving participants from 15 countries. The work forms part of the ISGAN Lighthouse Project and builds on a sense-making framework for long-term planning of smart distribution grids under uncertainty developed in an earlier project phase. The framework conceptualises grid planning as a multi-actor process spanning five phases, from foresight to implementation, underpinned by three essential framework conditions. One of these, effective actor collaboration and coordination, is the focus of this work. Taking a system innovation perspective, we explore the characteristics of a well-functioning actor ecosystem and how these can be developed and maintained to improve the quality and speed of distribution grid planning, drawing on complementary governance, relational, and operational perspectives, including multi-level coordination between top-down steering and bottom-up initiatives, and interfaces with spatial and cross-sector planning processes. Particular attention is given to the foresight phase, where actors need to develop a shared understanding of and agree on the long-term direction of the energy system and the role of the distribution grid within it. The analysis focuses on three actor groups influencing distribution-grid planning across governance levels: DSOs; local and regional government actors with territorial planning responsibilities; and energy policy makers and regulators, typically operating at the national level. We examine interdependencies across the planning process, including flows of data, information and decisions, and related coordination and sense-making challenges. Informed by insights from different national contexts, we show how inadequate collaboration can undermine effective grid planning and local energy transitions while also suggesting practical pathways towards more effective collaboration, strengthening multi-level governance. Read the full abstract. Download presentation.