Organization

ECN Policy Studies comprises the following six research groups:

1. National Energy and Emission Strategy
   This group focuses on issues that require knowledge of multiple or even all sectors of the entire Dutch energy system and on strategic questions that encompass all solution areas. Core products are scenarios and projections of energy use and integral studies on the Dutch climate strategy. Analyses of industrial energy use are also covered by this group. The group works almost exclusively for Dutch clients, but it is important to have knowledge of energy and climate policy in Europe as well.
2. Renewable Energy
   This group focuses on policy for renewable energy, encompassing research of balanced relations between various forms of renewable energy, research of methods to stimulate renewable energy and advice on shaping policy.
3. Energy Production, Networks and Markets
   This group focuses on issues in the production of energy, markets for gas, oil, coal and electricity and policy for the infrastructure for electricity and gas. This also encompasses issues involving CO₂ capture and storage and nuclear energy. The group has knowledge of the European gas and electricity markets and has developed several models. Knowledge of the world oil market is also available. The group produces projections of energy prices.
4. Energy in Transport and Buildings
   The transport and built environment sectors have in common that energy and environmental considerations usually play a modest role in decisions of the actors involved (mostly consumers). Nevertheless, policy intends to accomplish major changes in energy use. The group analyses solution areas, policy instruments and driving forces of the actors and offers advice with respect to policy strategy and implementation of policy.
5. Energy Innovation and Society
   Technological improvements and dissemination of new techniques are necessary to realise a more sustainable energy system. The group focuses on issues that play a role in energy innovation, entailing both techno-economic research and research of the societal organisation of energy innovation and the processes in energy research. Currently, the group contributes greatly to the selection process with respect to the introduction of hydrogen. Innovation also touches the work of the other groups. It is the intention that the knowledge in this group on energy innovation and societal processes is also employed by the other groups in the unit as well as the technical units of ECN.
6. International Energy and Climate Issues
   This group has knowledge of the international context of energy and climate policy. It studies new opportunities for international climate policy, analyses the consequences of international climate instruments and offers advice with respect to issues on energy and development. The group works mainly for international clients or for Dutch clients that are active in the international energy and climate arena.