ClimateXChange (CXC) is offering a 6-month postdoctoral research opportunity to investigate how electricity market reform can unlock affordability, fairness and equity in the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
This work supports progress towards tackling fuel poverty in Scotland. The findings will inform strategic discussions and help to ensure that equity, fairness and affordability are at the heart of energy market reforms.
Research aims
The project, starting on 4 October, will quantify costs and benefits within the current electricity system, including network charges, system costs and policy costs.
It will assess the fairness of these costs for different socio-economic groups across Scotland.
Based on the findings, the researcher will recommend how future market reforms can help to distribute costs in a way that avoids them falling on those least able to afford them.
The following electricity market outcomes are of particular interest to the Scottish Government:
- Finding ways to reduce system costs, breaking the link to volatile fossil fuel prices and removing barriers to decarbonisation and growth of clean heat, transport and industry sectors.
- Ensuring a fair and just transition by allowing the low generating costs of renewables to be passed through to consumers, particularly those most vulnerable, including those in or at risk of fuel poverty.
- Achieving net zero by protecting and enhancing levels of investment in renewables, flexibility and networks to maximise the economic opportunities afforded by the net zero energy transition.
Tasks
The scope of this study covers retail energy market reform and wholesale electricity market reform.
The postholder will work with key policy leads in the Scottish Government to:
- Conduct a quantitative review of the existing evidence base on the costs and benefits in the electricity system today and provide a visual representation of these.
- Analyse how the costs and benefits could evolve as we move towards net zero by 2045, for example using National Grid ESO’s Future Energy Scenarios.
- Review evidence on what people perceive to be fair and how fairness is measured.
- Identify researchers and organisations in Scotland and across the UK who can contribute to the Scottish Government’s understanding of costs, benefits, fairness and equity in electricity markets.
- Work with the Scottish Government and CXC to convene two expert panel sessions and a wider stakeholder workshop to discuss project findings.
- Establish connections into wider policy discussions within the Scottish Government including on fuel poverty, consumers and networks.
Benefits of working with CXC
CXC postdoctoral research opportunities enable researchers to build long-term relationships with policymakers and to develop communications and engagement expertise.
ClimateXChange provides training and development into the policy process and effective research communication to policymakers.
Former CXC postdocs found the opportunity a great boost to their work, as they moved on to careers in academia and across policy and government analytical services. For instance, one of them said that the opportunity helped improve their methodological skills, research ambition and research impact.
How to apply
Details on how to submit a proposal can be found in our Research calls page. The closing date for proposal submission is noon on 21 August.
Related links
Invitations to quote: Information about this opportunity
Building connections, confidence and skills: The benefits of a ClimateXChange Fellowship