Professor Lena Kitzing's Inaugural Lecture

In July 2024, Lena Kitzing was appointed Professor in Renewable Energy Economics and Policy.
In that connection, DTU Wind and Energy Systems will host her inaugural lecture and following reception.
The Inaugural lecture takes place on Friday, 15 November 2024 at 15.00 at DTU Lyngby Campus, Building 101, meeting room 1, 1st. floor, Anker Engelundsvej 1, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby.

If you are unable to make it to Lyngby, you are welcome to follow the lecture via Teams.

Abstract:
Energy systems worldwide are undergoing a fundamental transformation. Policy, market design, and economic regulation play crucial roles in this process. Renewable energy investors often face high risks and costs, and policy can mitigate these through well-designed contracts, thus enabling investment at the desired speed and scale. In this lecture, I will demonstrate how we use financial theory for quantitative policy analysis. Specifically, we apply stochastic investment analysis to examine policy instrument designs that de-risk renewable energy investments. I will show how we explore the underlying mechanisms, assess the effects, and test various policy designs to inform on policy choices and their consequences. I will focus in particular on Contracts-for-Difference, a financial support mechanism for de-risking investments that has recently become of much interest in European electricity policymaking.


Short bio:
Lena Kitzing is a Professor in Renewable Energy Economics and Policy and Head of Division for Wind Energy Systems at DTU. Her research concerns the effective governance of energy systems through policy instruments, with particular focus on deployment and financing of renewables and their integration into the energy system. Lena is a leading expert in the economics and policy of offshore wind energy. She teaches in environmental economics and policy analysis, energy finance and risk management, regulation and integration of renewable energy. Lena serves on the board on several energy initiatives in Denmark. Since March 2022, Lena is member of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, with a mandate by the European Climate Law to advise policymakers on climate and energy related decisions. Lena is a sought-after scientific advisor to public and private organisations, is regularly invited to keynote speeches and conference panels, and appears in the Danish national media on energy related issues.