Project no. 608472

INSPIRE-Grid

IMPROVED AND ENHANCED STAKEHOLDERS PARTICIPATION IN REINFORCEMENT OF ELECTRICITY GRID

Instrument: Collaborative project Thematic priority: ENERGY.2013.7.2.4 – Ensuring stakeholder support for future grid infrastructures

Start date of project: 01 October 2013

Duration: 36 months

Deliverable 6.2

SELECTION OF CASE STUDIES

Revision: Final version

Submission date: 20 February 2015

RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Électricité) (2)

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Dissemination Level PU Public X PP Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services) RE Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services) CO Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services)

Author(s) Name Organisation E-mail Vivien Molinengo RTE [email protected] Amélie Lafragette RTE [email protected] Jon Lilley PIK [email protected] Alessandro Luè Poliedra [email protected] Julie Evensen Statnett [email protected] Bente Rudberg Statnett [email protected]

Status of deliverable Action By Date Verified Amélie Lafragette - RTE 27-01-2015 Approved (GC) Antonio Negri - RSE 20-02-2015

Abstract The current deliverable delves into the process of selection of the INSPIRE-Grid case studies, notably in accordance with the geographical, temporal and technical criteria defined in the Description of Work. To that end, the nature and characteristics of the methodologies to be experimented as well as of the TSOs’ projects chosen for hosting the case studies are described. This deliverable also provides preliminary instructions on data collection and the implementation of the case studies.

“Version history” that will become “Revision history” when the final “version” is converted into .pdf format and submitted to the European Commission.

Date Version Author(s) Comments Summer 2014 0.1 WP6 partners Information inputs 18-11-2014 1.0 Vivien Molinengo Initial draft 21-11-2014 1.1 Vivien Molinengo Internal RTE review Modifications following the decision to choose a 10-12-2014 2.0 Vivien Molinengo different project for one of the case studies. Modifications on the basis of the comments from 16-12-2014 2.1 Vivien Molinengo the WP6 partners. Final modifications on the basis of the comments 20-02-2015 Final Vivien Molinengo from the WP6 partners.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES ...... 4

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...... 5

INTRODUCTION ...... 6

1 DESCRIPTION OF THE SELECTION PROCESS OF THE CASE STUDIES ...... 7

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECTS THAT WILL HOST THE CASE STUDIES ... 9 2.1 Cergy-Persan ...... 9 2.2 -Rød ...... 11 2.3 - ...... 13

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CASE STUDIES ...... 16 3.1 The Cergy-Persan case study: Life-cycle assessment (LCA) ...... 16 3.2 The Bamble-Rød case study: Multi-criteria Analysis (ex-post MCA) ...... 17 3.3 The Aurland-Sogndal case study: Multi-criteria Analysis (MCA) ...... 18

CONCLUSION...... 20

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1- Summarized description of the three case studies ...... 8 Figure 2- The electric ring around the Ile-de-France region ...... 9 Figure 3 - Route of the Cergy-Persan project ...... 10 Figure 4 - Route of the Bamble-Rød project ...... 12 Figure 5 - Route of the Aurland-Sogndal project ...... 14 Figure 6 - The Cergy-Persan case study timeline for 2014-2015 ...... 17 Figure 7 - The Bamble-Rød case study timeline for 2014-2015...... 18 Figure 8 - The Aurland-Sogndal case study timeline for 2014-2015 ...... 19

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Dx.x Deliverable

EIA Environmental impact assessment

LCA Life-cycle analysis

MCA Multi-criteria analysis

MS Milestone

WP Work Package

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INTRODUCTION

Case studies (Work Package 6) are at the very core of the INSPIRE-Grid project. As experimentations of the methodologies – life-cycle analysis (LCA) and multi-criteria analysis (MCA) – defined in WP4 “Methodologies for the assessment and comparison of grid infrastructures”, case studies aim in fact to both feed and validate the theoretical research works conducted in the other WPs. This is particularly true for WP5 “Processes for public engagement”, whose handbook of guidelines and decision tree are expected to fully integrate the content and results of the experimentations. Conversely, the first results of the theoretical WPs are expected to feed the experimentations that will be conducted in the case studies, particularly to frame stakeholder engagement and the decision-making process. Choosing properly the case studies constitutes a major step in the INSPIRE-Grid project, considering the role they will play for the project’s final results. For this reason, it is of utmost importance to identify TSOs’ projects whose characteristics would favour productive experimentations of the LCA and MCA methodologies. This is precisely the purpose of the current deliverable, which must be read as the continuation of Deliverable 6.1 (D6.1). D6.1 aimed to design a preliminary framework for the case studies and to provide background information that could be used in Tasks 6.2 “Selection of case studies” and 6.3 “Implementation of methodologies in case studies”. While D6.1 mainly provided guidance regarding the future stakeholder analysis process and the selection of the methodologies for the case studies, the current deliverable describes in details TSOs’ projects that will host the case studies and the reasons why LCA and MCA have been chosen as appropriate methodologies, in accordance with the characteristics of these projects. In INSPIRE-Grid, case studies refer in fact to experimentations where some specific methodologies (LCA and MCA) will be experimented in some TSOs’ projects for which has been identified a need for such methodologies. In addition, this deliverable also gives preliminary instructions on the implementation of the methodologies to be experimented, data collection, interactions with stakeholders and the timeline of the future fieldwork. To that end, the current report is structured in three parts: - The first one describes how case studies have been selected, notably in accordance with the general criteria defined in the INSPIRE-Grid Description of Work. - The second one delves into the nature, characteristics and context of the projects that will host the case studies, with the purpose to underline to which extent these projects are suitable for the experimentations. - The third part focuses on the organization of the implementation of the case studies, regarding for instance data collection, timelines and interactions with stakeholders.

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1 DESCRIPTION OF THE SELECTION PROCESS OF THE CASE STUDIES

In accordance with the Description of Work, the selection of the INSPIRE-Grid case studies must comply with three main criteria, namely: - a geographical criterion, stating that case studies should be chosen in different countries and/or regions in order to be representative at the European scale; - a temporal criterion, stating that case studies should be representative of the different phases of a decision-making process; - a technical criterion, stating that only high voltage projects should be chosen with a particular attention given, if relevant, to interconnection projects and projects that contribute to the integration of renewable energies. Another important condition in the selection process is that the context of the projects should be opportune for the fieldwork required by the INSPIRE-Grid case studies. The evaluation of the methodologies experimented, regarding particularly how they contribute to stakeholder engagement, will in fact be based on interactions with projects’ stakeholders. As a consequence, it is of utmost importance that the contexts of the case studies favour productive relations between researchers and stakeholders without hindering the achievement of TSOs’ projects. As for the methodologies to be experimented, they must be innovative enough to have a clear added-value regarding stakeholder engagement in comparison with TSOs’ current participation practices, both mandatory and voluntary. Considering how complex the identification and analysis of these current practices can be, TSOs have provided researchers with relevant information throughout the selection process. In brief, the main difficulty in the selection process has been to identify TSOs’ projects that could possibly host, in accordance with the aforementioned conditions, the experimentation of the methodologies proposed by the INSPIRE-Grid research team. This has implied that the selection of the appropriate TSOs’ projects (Milestone 1 – MS1) had to be merged with the identification of the methodologies to be experimented (MS2), the two milestones being fundamentally interdependent. Realizing this convergence has required many exchanges between TSOs and researchers during the first year of the INSPIRE-Grid project. In fact, while TSOs needed to understand LCA and MCA methodologies and the timelines of their implementation so that they could identify appropriate projects for hosting the case studies, researchers had to know better the characteristics of TSOs’ projects and the needs of TSOs’ project managers so that they could design and adapt the methodologies. As a result of this selection process, three case studies, i.e. grid expansion projects where specific methodologies are experimented, have been chosen during the Technical meeting that was held in Paris in June 2014 (June 18th-19th).

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Figure 1- Summarized description of the three case studies Case study 1 Case study 2 Case study 3 Name Cergy-Persan Bamble-Rød Aurland-Sogndal TSO RTE Statnett Statnett General criteria Localization France (Ile-de-France) Southern Central Norway Status of the project Ongoing Closed Ongoing Temporal phase Permitting phase Construction phase Permitting phase Technical characteristics Project upgrade to 400 kV of New 34 km 420 kV power New 420 kV power line. an existing 20 km 225 kV line. line. Description of the methodologies experimented Methodology Life-cycle analysis (LCA) Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) Objective in the case To improve the evaluation of To collect the necessary data To feed the decision-making study the environmental impacts to define the set of indicators process regarding the siting of and benefits deriving from and weights needed to conduct the power line by comparing TSOs’ projects. an MCA in TSOs’ projects. alternatives on the basis of stakeholders’ preferences. Added-value for To provide additional To discuss with stakeholders To involve stakeholders in the stakeholder engagement information to support the the solution that was chosen, decision-making process by in the case study decision-making process and to question how it is in line giving them the opportunity to (used for instance for direct with their preferences in express their preferences and communication with the matters of power grid to contribute to the siting public). development. decision.

It is noteworthy that another Statnett project was initially chosen to host the third case study, namely Klæbu-Viklandet/Aura (see D6.1). Yet, due to the fact that this project will be suspended in its northern part – which is the most controversial one – in order to ease the development of the southern one – which is considered the most urgent – the INSPIRE-Grid partners agreed in November 2014 to choose a different project for the second MCA case study. Considering its characteristics and timeline, the Aurland-Sogndal project was selected to that end.

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2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECTS THAT WILL HOST THE CASE STUDIES

The following part presents the three projects – Cergy-Persan (RTE), Bamble-Rød and Aurland- Sogndal (both Statnett) – that have been chosen for hosting the INSPIRE-Grid case studies. For each project are described its general characteristics and its technical justification, its territorial context and the stakeholder engagement process that has been implemented so far.

2.1 Cergy-Persan (RTE, ongoing project – permitting phase) . Description of the project The Ile-de-France region is characterized by both a high demand of electricity (20% of the French total demand in 2013) and a lack of local production. In the future, this situation will likely be reinforced by the decommissioning of a major fossil-fuel power plant (Porcheville). Meanwhile, the increase of the capacities of combined cycle-gas power plants in north of France as well as of onshore and offshore wind energy in north of France and in the United Kingdom requires new transmission capacities to accompany the development of energy flows in the whole area. For these reasons, the electric grid, which is organized around the Ile-de-France region as a circular ring, needs to be adapted and reinforced, particularly in its north-west area. Environmental benefits can be expected from such an adaptation of the regional grid inasmuch as it would contribute to favour a better integration of renewable energy production, and therefore a corollary reduction of GHG emissions deriving from the local thermal production. As for economic benefits, such an adaptation would favour the avoidance of additional costs deriving from the use of backup power plants to guarantee when necessary the security of supply. Figure 2- The electric ring around the Ile-de-France region

Launched in 2013, the Cergy-Persan project is a part of this effort to adapt the regional grid. The project consists in upgrading to 400 kV an existing 225 kV overhead line (20-km long), in addition to two existing 400 kV power lines. To that end, most of the existing pylons will be reused and

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upgraded – either heightened or strengthened – when necessary, in accordance with the technical requirements related to 400 kV. Schematically, the line to be upgraded crosses two distinct areas, namely a densely populated urban area – around the city of Cergy – and a regional nature park – the Vexin Français regional nature park. In such a context, the main siting issue consists in identifying a route that would enable the proper achievement of the project while both contributing to the development of the urban area and avoiding and mitigating any possible negative externalities, particularly regarding the natural area. Figure 3 - Route of the Cergy-Persan project

400 kV overhead line 200 kV overhead line . Stakeholder engagement Stakeholders were involved throughout the development of the project to make sure that the chosen solution integrates properly their expectations and needs. Stakeholder engagement was organized by RTE at different stages: - At the siting phase (need definition and spatial planning), through many public meetings organized under the supervision of a participation guarantor1. Around one hundred and twenty participants, composed of 75% of local citizens and 25% of local elected

1 The guarantor (garant) is a neutral third party nominated by the National Commission of Public Debate, possibly on the demand of RTE. His role is to ensure that the rules of public participation – transparency, fair allocation of speaking time and argumentation – are fully respected during the participatory process.

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representatives and local NGOs, have participated to these meetings. In addition to oral interventions, participants were provided with a dedicated register where any concern, expectation and question could be expressed. Five local centers were also established to collect stakeholders’ opinions and questions on the project. In order to favour public engagement, 18.000 copies of a four-page document presenting the project were sent to the two hundred landowners directly concerned by the project as well as to the main local public actors, such as local elected representatives. Information was completed by a dedicated website and information panels were displayed during public meetings. Beforehand, a sociological study – interviews, visits of the territory with local residents and focus groups – was conducted by a research consultancy to better identify stakeholders’ expectations. - At the permitting phase, in the frame of the public inquiry2. At the time the current report is being written, the permitting phase is still ongoing and the public inquiry is expected to be organized during spring 2015. During the entire participatory process, stakeholders expressed concerns notably on the effects of electromagnetic fields on health and the preservation of landscapes, in relation with the fact that the upgraded pylons would possibly be more visible. Farmers were also preoccupied by the possible impacts of the construction works on their activities, and raised the issue of financial compensations. Yet, it is noticeable that no major opposition group appeared during the project. The fact that the Cergy-Persan project is based on an existing line could have contributed to make the project more easily accepted by local stakeholders.

2.2 Bamble-Rød (Statnett, completed project – construction phase) . Description of the project The Bamble-Rød project is a new 420 kV power line whose main purpose is to improve the security of supply in , to facilitate increased power exchanges and to favour the development of renewable energy. While the new line will be 34-km long, with some upgrades of an existing 300 kV line, an old 5-km power line will be taken down and rerouted in parallel with the Bamble-Rød line. Two new substations are also being built in both Bamble and Grenland. At the time the current report is being written, the Bamble-Rød project is under construction. Construction works are expected to be finished around summer 2015.

2 Following the demand by RTE of a declaration of public utility, whose purpose is to make some future utility easements or propriety transfers legally possible in the case no amicable agreement is found with landowners, a (minimum) one-month public inquiry is opened to all citizens living in the local communities concerned by the projects, so that they could take position on the project and the environmental impact assessment. The public inquiry is managed by an investigating commissioner who is appointed by the administrative court concerned by the project.

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Figure 4 - Route of the Bamble-Rød project

. Stakeholder engagement In order to define the route of the Bamble-Rød project, meetings were organized in April 2011 by the Norwegian regulator (the Water, Resources and Energy Directorate – NVE) with the three municipalities concerned by the project, namely Kragerø, Bamble and . Representatives from the County Council were also invited. These meetings were organized in connection with the public hearing meetings dedicated to the license application and the environmental impact assessment. In May 2012 – at the end of the process, before the license was delivered – NVE also conducted inspections of some selected areas along the routes and of the substations concerned by the project. Representatives of the affected communities were involved in these inspections. Information meetings were also held with local and regional authorities. Finally, the organization of the visit of the chosen site was announced in local newspapers (Kragerø Sheet, and ) so that property owners and any other interested stakeholder could have the opportunity to meet NVE and to present their expectations and concerns regarding the future project.

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Different categories of stakeholders were involved throughout the project, such as local and national authorities and services, and interest groups (around thirty NGOs identified). In this rural area, about one hundred and fifty landowners will be more precisely affected by the project: that explains the importance as key issues of compensations, electromagnetic fields, noise and of the potential impacts of the project on landscapes.

2.3 Aurland-Sogndal (Statnett, ongoing project – permitting phase) . Description of the project The Aurland-Sogndal project consists in building a new 420kV overhead transmission line between the Aurland hydropower station and the Sogndal substation. This new line will replace a 300 kV power line that exists between Aurland, Fardal and Sogndal. The current line will be decommissioned and removed at the end of the project. In addition, 6-7 kilometers of another 300 kV power line will also be removed where the future 420 kV power line will run parallel with the current one. This upgrade is expected to improve the transmission capacity across Sognefjorden and to connect the 420 kV grid in Aurland to the new Ørskog-Sogndal power line, which is currently under construction. The Aurland-Sogndal section is currently considered the main bottleneck in the regional grid. It will furthermore contribute to provide the necessary capacity to accompany the development of renewable energy production in the region. At the time the current report is being written, the Aurland-Sogndal project, whose initial notification was sent to the regulator in March 2014, is in the permitting phase. Administrative authorizations are expected to be delivered around the end of 2015, through successive steps: - End of March 2015: presentation to the regulator (NVE) of the application for the new line and of the environmental impact assessment; - April-June 2015: organization of the public hearings; - End of 2015 / beginning of 2016: final decision by NVE to deliver the authorizations. In accordance with this schedule, construction works are expected to begin in 2016-2017 for a commissioning in 2019. The removal of the existing power line will happen the year after. Therefore, the new renewable power plants are expected to be connected to the grid before the end of 2020, which is the deadline for renewable energy projects for receiving electricity certificates in the frame of the Nordic scheme that subsidizes new non-CO2 emitting power plants.

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Figure 5 - Route of the Aurland-Sogndal project

. Stakeholder engagement The new power line is expected to be built apart from the main residential area of Fardal. Therefore, less than ten houses would be significantly affected by the seven large pylons that will be built between these houses (all located in an area called Alpen) and the . It is noticeable that this solution was chosen after a consultation of the Sogndal municipality in 2008. As for the alternative route that was proposed by the owners concerned, it was rejected in the name of the impacts it would have had on a recreational area that the related local municipalities wanted to preserve. Yet, on the demand of Alpen inhabitants, this alternative route was also included by NVE in the environmental impact assessment. An early notification about the project and a program for the EIA was sent to NVE in March 2014. A public hearing process was then conducted during spring 2014 as a way to receive inputs from the public. Statnett provided answers to these comments and suggestions. Finally, the EIA program was validated by NVE in October 2014.

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The final route will be chosen once the EIA is finalized (February 2015), notably on the basis of Statnett's technical and financial considerations. Health and safety issues will also be taken into consideration when choosing the final solution. In this process, Statnett will meet the affected residents to get their opinion and preferences regarding the future project. The applications for licenses will then be sent by Statnett to the regulator (May 2015). On the basis of this proposal, NVE will organize public hearing meetings (May-June 2015). At the same period, Statnett will also arrange “open office days” during which any interested stakeholder will have the opportunity to meet Statnett in its premises in Sogndal, Aurland and possibly Lærdal.

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3 DESCRIPTION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CASE STUDIES

The following part is dedicated to the presentation of the way the implementation of the three INSPIRE-Grid case studies will be conducted, regarding particularly data collection and interactions with stakeholders. For each case study are described both the way each methodology is expected to answer to the project’s needs and how the characteristics of the project make it suitable for the experimentation. The INSPIRE-Grid partners who are mainly involved in the different case studies are also mentioned and their respective roles described. As a general rule, it is understood that any interaction with stakeholders as well as the concrete implementation of the methodology will have to be validated by TSOs’ project managers before action, since they benefit from a comprehensive understanding of the projects’ contexts, stakeholders, opportunities and difficulties. Timelines for the implementation of the case studies are proposed as a first insight into the next steps of the experimentations.

3.1 The Cergy-Persan case study: Life-cycle analysis (LCA) As explained in Deliverables D4.1 and D6.1, life-cycle analysis (LCA) is a method that aims to evaluate the full environmental impacts and benefits of a transmission project, in particular to provide additional information to support decision-making. In this sense, the outcome of LCA can also be used for direct communication with the public during the need definition and/or spatial planning phase(s), and to feed exchanges with stakeholders. On this basis, a two-way relationship exists between LCA and the Cergy-Persan project: while the Cergy-Persan project will provide all the data that are necessary to develop a LCA methodology applicable to transmission projects, the outcome of the LCA experimented in Cergy-Persan will be used to discuss with stakeholders the environmental issues of the project. In other words, the experimented methodology and the project that hosts the INSPIRE-Grid case study are expected to contribute to each other. . Interactions with stakeholders The Cergy-Persan case study will be organized around three main INSPIRE-Grid partners, namely Armines, who will develop the LCA methodology, PIK and RTE. PIK will be in charge of elaborating the appropriate approach to interact with Cergy-Persan’s stakeholders (e.g. survey of local residents, focus groups, booklet describing the outcomes of the LCA) as well as to evaluate the benefits of using LCA in the stakeholder engagement process. As explained in D6.1, the most appropriate way to present the LCA data and results to stakeholders and to analyze how LCA has provided an effective support to the decision-making process will be clarified during the first months of the implementation. This will be done in cooperation with the TSO’s project manager, who will be in charge of both providing the necessary data for the elaboration of the LCA methodology (through phone calls, email exchanges and bilateral meetings) and framing interactions with stakeholders. As for the categories of stakeholders to involve, they will largely depend on the progress of the Cergy-Persan project and on the results of the LCA.

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Figure 6 - The Cergy-Persan case study timeline for 2014-2015 2014 2015

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Data collection and achievement of the LCA Organization of the interactions with stakeholders Evaluation of the LCA methodology

for stakeholder engagement 3.2 The Bamble-Rød case study: Multi-criteria analysis (ex-post MCA) As explained in Deliverable 6.1, multi-criteria analysis (MCA) refers to a family of indicator- based assessment techniques that aim to structure and solve decision problems characterized by conflicting criteria (e.g. economic, environmental, technical) and actors with different viewpoints. The analysis uses the preferences of all the actors involved (i.e. public authorities, TSOs, other stakeholder groups) to display the trade-offs among the various criteria. As a completed project, Bamble-Rød does not allow the implementation of a full MCA process that would be used to feed the decision-making process on the siting of the transmission line. The case study will then rather aim to collect all the data considered necessary to define the set of indicators and weights needed to conduct an MCA in TSOs’ projects, and to prepare in this way the implementation of a complete MCA in future projects. In this process, Poliedra will be in charge of collecting and structuring data from Statnett, and of developing the MCA methodology. PIK will elaborate and organize the appropriate approach (such as focus groups) to present the results of the MCA to stakeholders and to evaluate the benefits of using MCA for stakeholder engagement. . Interactions with stakeholders The collection of data is expected to be done through bilateral interviews with stakeholders, with the help of a translator. The budget issue still needs to be solved, as neither Poliedra nor PIK has the funds required for translation services. The Bamble-Rød’s project manager (in relation with researchers via emails and some Skype calls when necessary) will contribute to arrange meetings between stakeholders and researchers and to provide the contact details of some relevant stakeholders. Ideally, at least a couple of representatives of each stakeholder group involved in Bamble-Rød should be interviewed. Based on the information provided by Statnett, several stakeholder groups have already been identified, namely landowners (farmers, forestry companies), the municipalities of Skien and Bamble, NGOs and local interest groups (e.g. environment, , forestry societies, village societies) and industrial actors. The analysis of background information dealing with both the technical details of the project and stakeholder engagement (e.g. description of outreach activities, letters and comments from stakeholders, media reports) will also contribute to the definition of the set of alternatives and indicators. The project’s environmental impact assessment and any document describing the needs

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for the project as well as internal Statnett documentation and working paper will be used as relevant background information. After reviewing the background material, gaps in knowledge will be filled with the help of the project manager. At the end of the process, researchers will be able to develop a first draft of relevant criteria that will be presented to the Bamble-Rød’s stakeholders for discussion. A public meeting or a focus group would be an appropriate format for such a presentation, although requiring further thought concerning the translation and presentation issues. Figure 7 - The Bamble-Rød case study timeline for 2014-2015 2014 2015 Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Transmission of relevant spatial data Transmission of the data required to set up the MCA Setting up of a draft of the MCA Interaction with stakeholders

Unlike the Aurland-Sogndal case study, no time constraint, related for instance to public hearings or the decisional process, exists in Bamble-Rød inasmuch as it is a closed project. The timeline above is therefore simply indicative and may evolve in the future, particularly because the INSPIRE-Grid partners will give priority to activities related to the ongoing Aurland-Sogndal case study. 3.3 The Aurland-Sogndal case study: Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) As an ongoing project in its permitting phase, Aurland-Sognald makes possible the experimentation of a full MCA used for both stakeholder engagement and the decision-making process related to the siting of the transmission line. Likewise the Bamble-Rød case study, both Poliedra and PIK will be involved: the former to gather and structure the necessary data to get from Statnett, and to achieve the MCA; the latter to organize the presentation of the results of the MCA to stakeholders and to evaluate the benefits of using MCA in the project. . Interactions with stakeholders Two types of interactions with stakeholders are foreseen. The possibility to organize such interactions and the way it would be done is still in discussion between the different partners concerned (Statnett, NVE, Poliedra, PIK and RSE). - Direct interviews with representative stakeholders: when it will not be possible to conduct these interviews in English, involving a translator will be necessary. The budget issue still needs to be solved, as neither Poliedra nor PIK has the funds required for translation services. The Aurland-Sognald’s project manager (in relation with researchers via emails and some Skype calls, and possibly on the occasion of one or two field visits) will contribute to arrange meetings between stakeholders and researchers and to provide the contact details of some relevant stakeholders. The possibility to organize focus groups is under consideration at the time the current report is being written.

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- A dedicated webGIS (Geographic Information System) tool will also be used to: o present the results of the environmental impact assessment carried out by Statnett; o collect comments and suggestions through a geographic interface; o make explicit people’s preferences regarding particular points of interest and sites to be preserved. At the core of MCA is the identification of a set of indicators that enable the assessment of every costs and benefits associated with a project, considering the concerns of all the actors involved in the process. In the case of Aurland-Sognald, these indicators will be organized in a tree structure, so that they will be more understandable and transparent for stakeholders than a simple list of indicators. This is expected to guarantee that stakeholders’ concerns are fully taken into account. Moreover, the criteria tree will be used to both foster discussions and analyse the main environmental and social aspects of the Aurland-Sogndal project. At the time the current report is being written, a first proposal of criteria tree has been discussed among the INSPIRE-Grid partners concerned – Statnett, NVE, PIK, RSE and Poliedra. This proposal was built on the basis of the work carried out in the INSPIRE-Grid project as well as of ENTSO-E documents, a literature review and the documentation available for some Statnett projects. Figure 8 - The Aurland-Sogndal case study timeline for 2014-2015 2014 2015

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Transmission of relevant information

and spatial data Specification of the alternatives to be

considered & EIA Discussion on the criteria tree Development and implementation of

WebGIS Interactions with stakeholders

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CONCLUSION

The purpose of the current deliverable is to describe the process of selection of the INSPIRE- Grid case studies in a transparent way. To that end, it presents the successive steps that have led to the identification of both TSOs’ projects considered appropriate to conduct experimentations and methodologies that have a clear added-value for the projects’ decision-making process. In addition, this deliverable contributes to define a preliminary framework for Task 6.3 “Implementation of methodologies in case studies”. The way data collection and interactions with stakeholders will be organized in the three case studies is described to a certain extent, with associated timelines.

This deliverable does not define a comprehensive framework for the implementation of the case studies, considering that this process will become more precise as the experimentations are conducted. Yet, it already provides a strong basis for implementing the case studies in a way that would benefit to both researchers and TSOs. This will be the purpose of the next WP6 deliverable (D6.3 – “Results of methodologies implementation in case studies”) to evaluate the way the INSPIRE-Grid case studies have contributed, in relation with the other WPs, to bring innovative and efficient answers to the issue of stakeholder engagement in power grid projects.

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