KAPSARC’s released its third Workshop Policy Brief in March 2014, entitled A Framework for Fuel and Technology Transitions in Energy: Evaluating Policy Effectiveness.In November 2013, KAPSARC held a workshop in Riyadh attended by approximately 30 global energy experts from industry, governments, and academia. Discussions focused on developing a framework to add to current approaches for assessing the effectiveness of policy in delivering rapid transitions that are affordable and supportive of local economies.Efforts to transform the energy technology and fuel mix over condensed time frames are motivated by resource conservation and environmental concerns, together with aspirations to develop green economies. This has brought to the surface the challenge of expediting the transition processes within the capital-intensive energy industry—historically a decades-long undertaking.Experiences from Europe and North America highlight the inherent challenges in balancing the objectives of speed, cost effectiveness, and promotion of local industries. Ensuring the continuous reliable operation of the power system and the likely unrelenting competitive responses from incumbent technologies add another layer of complexity—suggesting that a more comprehensive framework is valuable for informing energy transition policy.The Energy Transitions Workshop Policy Brief can be accessed here
