We are collaborating with Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish partners on SpeedLocal, a major research project working to speed up the Nordic green transition. Together we are developing guidance tools for addressing “not in my backyard” complexities and the challenges of integrating national energy planning with local implementation.
The project is transdisciplinary, bringing together experts in stakeholder engagement, policy analysis, landscape analysis, participatory processes and energy system modelling, with the final guidance tools reflecting three case studies: the Norwegian municipality of Trøndelag, the Swedish municipality of Skaraborg, and the Danish municipality of Bornholm.
In each case study municipality, local authorities are implementing national energy policies. We are focusing on adapting the TIMES-Nordic energy system model to work at municipal level, and leading the Bornholm case study, working closely with Bornholm municipality to identify the barriers to its green transition and the strategies to overcome them.
An important thread running through the project is the value of local nature and landscapes, with the overarching aim of finding ways to fold local insights and considerations into broader national and Nordic energy planning, so that the resulting analysis carries more legitimacy and policy relevance.
The TIMES-Nordic model is being adapted for local cases, integrating the specific constraints that apply at municipal level.
The analysis of the results will be translated into a Strategy Kit containing instructions and guidance for municipalities working through their own green transition.
The Strategy Kit is designed to be used to formulate evidence based policy recommendations for national and local authorities across the Nordic region.
Client: Nordic Energy Research
Reference: Lise Nielson, senior advisor, Nordic Energy Research
Collaborators: IVL, Institute for Energy Technology, LabLab, Luleå University of Technology, VTT, Technical University of Denmark, Bornholm municipality, Skaraborg municipality, Vara municipality, Trøndelag municipality; project owner Energiforsk AB
EML team: Andrea Radoszynski, Ida Græsted Jensen, Till ben Brahim
Budget: NOK 25 million (total project budget)
Duration: 2024 to 2026
Model: TIMES-Nordic