NREL: Energy Collaborative Analysis Initiative - Inaugural Workshop

Workshop Overview

The workshop, held June 20-21, 2006, in Washington, D.C., included 62 analysts from 27 different organizations

DOE/EERE's Planning, Evaluation, and Analysis (PAE) Division volunteered to sponsor the workshop. The Planning Committee guided initial workshop planning by (1) identifying potential energy analysis topics (derived from an integrated analysis matrix (PDF 20 KB) Download Adobe Reader, (2) formulating a set of goals and a structure for the workshop and (3) identifying high-priority analysis topics on which to focus initial collaboration activities (outlined in the baseline characterization (PDF 72 KB) Download Adobe Reader. The Planning Committee, which represented a variety of groups, met twice and provided substantial direction.

First, the Planning Committee laid out the audience and goals for the U.S. Energy Collaborative Analysis Workshop. They decided to initially focus on critical analysis issues that could best inform policy makers and to only include analysts from those organizations that are the key funding sources of energy analysis – namely federal agencies, states, and research organizations. Additional collaborators could be brought in once this group decided what was most important to them and their decision makers. Next, they identified the goals for the workshop and for this collaborative project:

Identify a few high-priority energy analysis topics to serve as the focus of initial collaborative work in FY06, with the opportunity to broaden the focus in FY07.

Identify ways to balance between the multiple objectives of decision makers – namely fairly priced energy, a cleaner and healthier environment, and economic development.

Develop and initiate implementation of a work plan for a few collaborative projects that will be undertaken for each of these high-priority energy analysis topics.

Identify additional topics and projects for which the participating organizations invite collaboration and promote exchange of information on possible steps for these topics.

Define approaches for ongoing dialogue and sharing of energy analysis information, tools, and results among energy analysis practitioners.

Identify ways to communicate results to appropriate decision makers.

In order to properly prepare for the workshop, the Planning Committee recommended conducting a number of decision-maker and analyst interviews, as well as some supplemental research. The goal of gathering this information was to discover priority energy issues across both decision makers and analysts, and to clarify information needs/gaps. Their input was consolidated into an integrated matrix, comparing decision makers' and analysts' energy analysis priorities. These were discussed at the Planning Committee meeting in May and were ranked to identify the priority analysis activities for the breakout sessions of the Energy Collaborative Analysis Workshop, using the following criteria:

Where do the needs and interests of decision makers and analysts intersect on energy analysis?

What energy issues/analysis activities were self-identified as important yet not addressed to a critical mass of participating organizations (i.e. which attracted the most diverse groups of decision makers and/or analysts)?

Are current information, tools, and models inadequate to address this issue?

Is there a discrete, actionable activity to address this issue/question?

Can a collaborative effort of multiple organizations provide additional value through:

collaboration on scope (to identify specific activities for different parties to perform),
leveraging of resources and capabilities, and,
sharing of information and results?

The Planning Committee designed the workshop to focus both on long-range as well as short-term energy analysis decision-making opportunities. During the first morning session, participants identified priority energy analysis issues over the next 5-10 years – it was during this session that an additional breakout session topic was identified.

The next section of the workshop concentrated on identifying near-term analysis activities that could address the eight topics selected by the Planning Committee and workshop participants. Each was discussed in detail during concurrent sessions in order to confirm immediate, common analysis needs – and participants developed action plans with steps that can be taken to collectively address those needs. One important task for each topic was to clearly identify strengths and weaknesses of various models and analysis methodologies, in order to identify appropriate models to drive decision making. The final section of the workshop identified efficient mechanisms to promote ongoing energy analysis coordination and information sharing. Twenty-six immediate collaboration activities within all eight topics were identified during the workshop breakout sessions. Collaboration has already begun on several activities, through phone calls or initial meetings.

For more information on the results of the workshop, access the Outcomes Document (PDF 208 KB) Download Adobe Reader.

The Leadership Committee is also developing an e-mail newsletter that will provide the latest information on collaborative activities (watch the News section for those updates).