Agora debuts PyPSA-SPICE framework to strengthen open-source energy modelling

Agora Energiewende has announced the launch of PyPSA-SPICE (PyPSA-based Scenario Planning and Integrated Capacity Expansion), a new open-source model builder designed to support transparent, cost-effective and collaborative energy system planning. 

For decades, energy planners around the world have relied on commercial software. While these tools have played an important role in shaping energy policy, their high licensing costs, limited transparency and proprietary structures can pose challenges, particularly for low- and middle-income countries seeking to scale analytical capacity and advance their energy transitions. 

In recent years, open-source modelling frameworks such as PyPSA have reached a high level of maturity and are now used by leading institutions beyond academia, including energy regulators, system operators and industry networks. These tools have demonstrated that open, community-driven modelling can match the technical capabilities of commercial systems while offering far greater accessibility and transparency. 

Enabling robust, reproducible insights through modelling 

Building on this momentum, Agora Energiewende is contributing a significant new asset to the global open-source modelling ecosystem, focusing on regions where modelling consulting is still nascent. In these contexts, PyPSA-SPICE enables fully transparent scenario design and capacity expansion analysis, helping governments, system operators, researchers and civil society organisations conduct robust and reproducible energy planning themselves. 

The tool has already been applied extensively within Agora’s analytical work, including for national power sector transition analyses such as for Kazakhstan and regional integration studies and long-term decarbonisation scenarios for countries in Southeast Asia. Beyond Agora’s internal use, PyPSA-SPICE has been adopted by members of the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks (INETTT) and other partner organisations.  

To support the development of open-source modelling ecosystems at the country level, Agora has conducted a series of targeted training programmes – particularly for INETTT members – empowering think tanks and research institutions in partner countries to build their own modelling capabilities using the open-source PyPSA framework. 

Agora unveiled PyPSA-SPICE during an event held on 8 December that brought together leading experts in energy modelling, including representatives from the European Commission, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) alongside think tanks, academia and philanthropy. The discussion highlighted the growing need for transparent, science-based tools and emphasised the importance of collaboration within the global modelling community. 

With PyPSA-SPICE, Agora Energiewende aims to bridge modelling and policymaking even more effectively, empowering analysts worldwide to produce well-grounded, reproducible insights and to accelerate a fair, evidence-based clean energy transition.  

Find more information and explore the framework below. Examples of Agora studies based on PyPSA-SPICE modelling can be found on the download section of the PyPSA-SPICE Model Builder. If you plan to implement PyPSA-SPICE and have any questions or comments, please reach out to us as modelling(at)agora-thinktanks(dot)org.