This regular ETSAP workshop, held at St Annes College, Oxford, was preceded by a focused UKERC sponsored event which examined issues in modelling future energy technology costs and choice. The ETSAP meeting was structured around the two main themes. The first was applications of the MARKAL / TIMES model variants in specific methodological and policy focused projects. The second was presentations detailing ongoing model development and improvement in this open-source collaboration in energy system analytical tools. Two underlying developments were discussed throughout the two days. The first was the surge of interest in scenario quantification and modelling of the options for climate change mitigation policies arising from the G8 Gleneagles Summit. ETSAP is likely to be heavily involved in this process which includes the IEA preparing a new flagship publicationon Global Energy Technology Perspectives (GETP). The first annual GETP is to be published in March 2006, will explore the role energy technologies can play in shaping long term markets and will be closely tied to results from the global MARKAL model. The second was an ongoing aim to continue to interact with key developing countries and to enhance and to link with their energy modelling capacities. This has been done through ETSAP as a whole and through bilateral contacts and this process will continue to be strengthened. In additional to the modelling insights this workshop offered an excellent opportunity for networking and relationship building between international modelling groups. This was facilitated by the conference dinner held at St Anthonys College, Oxford. |