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The 2nd SKILLBILL Electricity Working Group, facilitated by Q-PLAN and led by Lighthouse Expert Dirk Hendricks, recently gathered to explore the regulatory shifts necessary for fostering a supportive environment for sustainable electricity. The main focus was on identifying regulatory changes required to create favourable conditions for sustainable electricity and examining existing EU and national initiatives aimed at developing renewable energy skills, including funding opportunities like the Just Transition Fund. Participants discussed the regulatory adjustments needed to facilitate the widespread adoption of sustainable electricity technologies and practices, ensuring that the regulatory framework is both supportive and adaptable.

A structured approach was followed for this meeting, including steps such as identifying regulatory shifts, detailing these shifts, discussing recommendations, prioritising them using collaborative tools like Miro and finalising the recommendations. Key activities included brainstorming sessions, knowledge exchange and co-creation of recommendations, ensuring a holistic approach towards sustainable electricity.

The working group resulted in several impactful recommendations. Primary recommendations focused on enhancing EU funding for industry and academia collaboration and emphasising the importance of funding multiple projects in specific fields to increase opportunities for innovative proposals. Secondary recommendations included promoting real-life results from EU initiatives, boosting energy communities’ engagement and developing specialised expertise to enhance competitiveness in the job market. Other recommendations emphasised the need for industry-academia collaboration, revising the list of renewable energy sources (RES) technologies to include more innovative options and ensuring that EU project outcomes for VET and training in RES are available for free use in clear, accessible language.

Key insights from the discussions underscored the importance of making learning interactive through augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and continuously updating Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas (SRIAs) to reflect access to critical raw materials and the capacity for upskilling and reskilling the European workforce. Participants also highlighted the need for comprehensive job descriptions and training lists. Key activities included brainstorming sessions, knowledge exchange, and co-creation of recommendations, ensuring a holistic approach toward sustainable electricity.

The meeting concluded positively, with active participation and enthusiastic discussions among members. The collaborative environment successfully generated actionable insights for regulatory shifts in sustainable electricity, demonstrating a strong sense of cooperation and commitment from all participants.

Stay tuned for more updates and insights from our initiatives as we continue to advance sustainable electricity solutions and more!