December 2011: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released its latest OPEN Technology Bulletin, which summarizes topics related to smart grids, the new IEA Energy Journal, ocean energy, Chinese wind energy, accelerating innovation, costs of inaction and new projects, among other items.

The latest issue highlights that the Executive Committees of IEA’s Electricity Networks Analysis, Research and Development Implementing Agreement (ENARD IA) and the International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN IA) met in Scheveningen, The Netherlands, in October 2011, for a Joint Workshop on Smart Grids Knowledge Exchange, where the merging of the two groups was agreed upon.

The Bulletin continues with a summary of a piece by John Huckerby, Chair of the Executive Committee of Ocean Energy Systems (OES), that highlights the potential of the marine energy sector globally. This section also highlights the OES’s new website and its Annex V, which aims to facilitate the exchange and assessment of ocean energy project information.

The Bulletin includes a section about China’s wind energy development roadmap, which provides a pathway for 1000GW of wind energy by 2050.

The recent information paper, titled “Good Practice Policy Framework for Energy Technology Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D),” is summarized in this issue of the Bulletin. It is the first paper in IEA’s Accelerating Energy Innovation (AEI) Series.

Dozens of further publications and events are summarized in the issue, including on the most recent IEA Ministerial Meeting, a book on new perspectives on solar energy, the new IEA Energy Journal, new websites on IEA technology initiatives, and new IEA projects and partners. [Publication: IEA OPEN Technology Bulletin]