Energy, Environment, and Resources

We conduct multi-disciplinary research on sustainable socio-economic development and transition to green growth focusing on energy and environmental economics and policy. We produce research output with economic and policy impact within different sub-disciplines of economics utilising various quantitative and qualitative methods. We aim to develop new theoretical, methodological, and applied approaches to research in these areas. Our current research covers four areas. First, we carry out economic and regulatory analysis of the transformation of the European energy sector with a view to achieving a sustainable environment and economy. Second, we analyse energy markets and business, regulation, their interaction with society, and consumer behaviour, given the massive changes in the energy system that challenge the established roles, institutions, and structures. Third, we study the decentralised energy transformation derived from small-scale and variable renewable electricity generation that requires changes in network regulation, system governance, and market design. Finally, we study the energy issues in the global south, where low electrification rates, investment constraints, weak institutions, high energy losses, or capacity shortages present impediments to social and economic development.

Faculty

Anette Boom

Christine Brandstätt

Christopher Dirzka

Tooraj Jamasb

Manuel Llorca

Alexandra Lüth

Jens Weibezahn

Ralf A. Wilke

External Funding

The Research in our group has been supported by international and national funding bodies. Below is a list of current externally funded projects:

1. A Methodology for Implementing Smart and Efficient Energy System Integration (Christine Brandstätt, Tooraj Jamasb, Manuel Llorca, Alexandra Lüth, Jens Weibezahn), Connecting Europe Facility funding, European Commission.
2. Market Design for a Decentralized Integrated European Energy Transformation (Jens Weibezahn), H2020 project, European Commission.
3. Ph.D. mobility programme: Nordic Network on Energy System Integration and Sustainable Transport (Alexandra Lüth, Jens Weibezahn), NordForsk.
4. European Distributed Data Infrastructure for Energy (Tooraj Jamasb, Manuel Llorca) Horizon Europe, European Commission.
5. Public Acceptance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (Manuel Llorca), Danmarks Innovationsfond.

Courses

Our group offers a masters level minor in Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy comprising three modules. We offer a masters level module in Advanced Energy and Environmental Economics Topics as well as an undergraduate module in Energy Economics. We also offer a module on Energy Economics and Policy at the International Summer University Programme.

Publications

We carry out high-level research with a wide international reach. We publish our research in academic outlets and, for impact, disseminate them to policymakers and practitioners. Below are a few recent examples of publications:

Alleviating energy poverty in Europe: Front-runners and laggards, Energy Economics, 2021, 103, 105575 (Tooraj Jamasb and Manuel Llorca)

Decarbonisation policies and energy price reforms in Bangladesh, Energy Policy, 2022, 170, 113224 (Tooraj Jamasb and Manuel Llorca)

Electricity distribution networks in the decentralisation era: Rethinking economics and regulation. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan 2022, 141 p. (Christine Brandstätt)

Energy network innovation for green transition: Economic issues and regulatory options, Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, 2023, 12(1) (prepress), (Tooraj Jamasb and Manuel Llorca)