Agora to host leading power system operator network as part of growing global grids role
At a crucial moment for the global clean energy transition, Agora Think Tanks will deepen its collaboration with and host the secretariat of the Global Power System Transformation Consortium (GPST) while expanding its international grids programme.
Electricity systems are at the heart of the global energy transition. As countries scale up renewables and electrify industry, buildings and transport, grids must become more flexible and resilient to ensure reliable, affordable energy systems worldwide.
Against this backdrop, Agora Energiewende, which is part of Agora Think Tanks, is strengthening its global grids programme and deepening its engagement with the Global Power System Transformation Consortium (GPST). Bringing together system operators, research institutions and technical partners worldwide, GPST works to accelerate power system transformation.
Established in 2019 by six leading system operators and twelve top power system research institutions worldwide, the consortium has since expanded significantly. Today, GPST’s system operator network includes more than 36 partners, collectively representing around a third of global electricity generation.
Effective immediately, Agora will host the secretariat of GPST and support the consortium’s activities, drawing on its expertise in grid policy and regulation as well as its convening power. This complements GPST’s technical strengths and reinforces collaboration across regions.
Markus Steigenberger, Managing Director, Agora Think Tanks, said: “Transforming power systems requires close cooperation between those operating the grid and those shaping the rules that guide it. By strengthening our engagement with GPST, we aim to ensure that policy and regulation evolve in step with technical innovation, supporting reliable, affordable and clean power systems on the path to climate neutrality.”
Karin Wadsack, Executive Director, Global Power System Transformation, said: “GPST is built on collaboration between system operators, technical experts and policy institutions across regions. With Agora hosting the secretariat and contributing its policy and regulatory expertise, we are broadening the impact of the consortium’s technical solutions while preserving GPST’s independent structure.”
As part of this development, Agora is expanding its grids work across Germany, Europe and other key regions, including Southeast Asia and China. Rena Kuwahata, Programme Lead Grid Modernisation and Electrification, will take this forward, bringing over twenty years of experience in the field, including at the International Energy Agency (IEA) where she led work on electricity grids and integrating renewables. Her expertise in power system transformation will further strengthen Agora’s project on grid modernisation and contribute to collaboration and knowledge exchange within the GPST Consortium.
Agora Energiewende develops scientifically sound and politically feasible strategies for a successful pathway to climate neutrality in the power and buildings sector – in Germany, Europe and internationally. Its power system transformation team conducts in-depth analysis of electricity systems and policy frameworks and facilitates knowledge sharing on key topics of the energy transition. Agora is independent and non-partisan, with a diverse financing structure, its only commitment is to climate action.
For more information on GPST, visit the GPST website.
