SECURES analyzes challenges and opportunities for Austria's future electricity system to ensure a reliable, sustainable and cost-efficient power supply in times of climate change. The basis for this is provided by detailed climate and energy system modeling and intensive stakeholder dialog.
The project's methodological starting point is a model-based analysis of the structural changes in weather, electricity demand and electricity generation caused by climate change and decarbonization. This is based on the latest climate models. From these, key parameters can be derived with high temporal and geographical resolution, which determine the potential and operating conditions of future electricity generation and storage. Based on this assessment, different scenarios are developed to perform a comprehensive, model-based analysis of the future Austrian electricity sector. Research at the interface of energy and climate modeling will also provide the latest insights into the opportunities and challenges of this interdisciplinary approach. The overall assessment will focus on security of supply, including an analysis of flexibility needs and the corresponding options to meet those needs, as well as address economic efficiency, taking into account investments and system and policy costs. This model-based research process will be transparent, including discourse with stakeholders in the scenario design and further process, open-source modeling and publications. Austrian policy makers will be supported to resolve trade-offs between security of supply, decarbonization needs and economic development, which are equally affected by climate impacts.