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Energy Trilemma: Energy Policy Simulation

Teams manage energy policy, balancing security, affordability, and sustainability. World Energy Council concept, developed with NEAH.

A 3-hour simulation: two scenarios, 20+ decisions, discussion and reflection. For energy companies, ESG teams, universities.

10+
groups completed the training
12-50
participants per group
3
hours per workshop
🧠

Understanding systemic interconnections

Participants see how a single energy decision affects security, affordability, and sustainability simultaneously

⚖️

Decision-making under uncertainty

20+ decisions in 3 hours — each with real consequences for your strategy. No right answer, only informed trade-offs

👥

Strategic trade-off skills

Teams learn to argue their choices, defend strategy against opponents, and balance conflicting objectives

💬

Transferring insights to your business context

The facilitator connects game experience to participants' real challenges — from ESG strategies to corporate decisions

Why your team needs this

The energy transition is too complex a system for intuition

Security, affordability, and sustainability in the energy sector — three goals that conflict with each other. Real decisions in energy policy require understanding systemic interconnections. A single presentation or article is not enough.

🎯

ESG strategies are often abstract

Companies make ESG commitments, but employees don't understand how specific decisions affect the balance of metrics. What's needed is an experience where every decision has measurable consequences.

📖

Lectures don't develop the skill of systemic decision-making

Books and presentations explain Energy Trilemma theory. But the skill of seeing connections between decisions only forms through the practice of making decisions with real consequences.

🎮

Two game scenarios

  • Main: all teams manage the same country with the same set of questions — compare strategies
  • Alternative: random questions, one of 4 economy types — each team in unique conditions
  • Every decision affects 3 metrics in the energy sector simultaneously — you can't optimize everything
🤝

Teamwork and strategic trade-offs

  • Teams of 4-6: role assignment, collective strategy
  • Arguing before other teams: why your strategy is better
  • 20+ decisions in 3 hours — an experience impossible in lecture format
💬

Discussion and reflection: from game to business

  • Facilitator guides the discussion: participants analyze results, debate, and defend their strategies
  • Transferring insights to participants' business context
  • Not just «we played a game» — but discussion, analysis of strategies and decisions

The Energy Trilemma Concept

Energy Trilemma is a concept by the World Energy Council, describing the fundamental conflict in energy policy: it is impossible to simultaneously maximize energy security, energy affordability, and environmental sustainability in the energy sector. Every decision improves one at the expense of another.

The "Energy Trilemma" simulation game is built on this concept. Participants manage energy policy of fictional countries, experiencing firsthand the trade-offs that real policymakers and strategists face.

Project Team

NEAH Developed with NEAH. Expert participation of Tatyana Mitrova — CEO of NEAH, former head of the SKOLKOVO Energy Centre.
  • Maria Stepanova (EnergiaVita.pro) — subject matter expert and facilitator
  • Vitaly Genarov — producer and build editor
  • Darya Zagorskaya — developer
  • Maxim Bodrikov — technical administrator

Want to run a workshop for your team?

Who it's for

Energy companies & ESG teams

Challenge

Need to experience energy policy trade-offs firsthand: security vs affordability vs sustainability in the energy sector

Solution

Simulation based on the World Energy Council concept — your team lives through real energy transition dilemmas in 3 hours

🎓

Universities & programs in energy, economics, sustainability

Challenge

Students lack decision-making practice in energy policy — theory doesn't replace experience

Solution

Simulation for seminars and courses. Format already used at University College London

🎤

Forum & conference organizers

Challenge

Need an interactive format that engages the audience and leaves an impression

Solution

Simulation as a forum activity: participants play, debate, discuss — instead of passive listening

Trainer

Maria Stepanova

Maria Stepanova

Content Developer & Facilitator

Content developer and facilitator of the Energy Trilemma workshop. Founder of EnergiaVita.pro. Expert in sustainable development and educational products. Leads game sessions, oversees methodology and discussion.

Workshop program

1

Introduction

Teams receive their country, resources, and starting scores. Rules and mechanics explained.

2

Round 1: First Decisions

Each team makes policy decisions. Consequences are visible immediately — three metrics in the energy sector change.

3

Round 2: Strategic Trade-offs

The situation gets more complex. Crises, unexpected events. Teams adjust strategy.

4

Discussion & Reflection

Facilitator guides the discussion: participants analyze results, debate, and defend their strategies, transferring insights to business context.

Delivery formats

In-Person Workshop

Full team session with a facilitator. Web app on participants' screens. Discussion and reflection with the facilitator.

👥 12-50 people
⏱️ 3 hours
📋 Projector, Wi-Fi, laptops or phones for participants

Online (on request)

Online format available via Zoom/Teams. Game in the web app. Discuss details when booking.

👥 from 8 people
⏱️ to be agreed
📋 Stable internet, camera, microphone

Pricing

Individual

from $40 / 3,000 som
≈ €37
  • Open sessions for individual participants
  • Mixed group from different companies
  • Participant certificate
Sign Up

Corporate

from $1,200 / 80,000 som
≈ €1,104
  • Private session for your team, up to 50 people
  • Scenarios and debrief adapted to your industry
  • Post-workshop report for management
  • Facilitator + expert
Discuss Format

Prices are indicative. Final cost confirmed in contract.

FAQ

Are there prerequisites?
None. The simulation is designed so that participants learn energy policy concepts (trilemma, energy transition, ESG) through the game itself. The training provides both deep immersion into energy topics and decision-making/negotiation skills. No special preparation is required — all rules are explained in 20 minutes before the start.
What group size works?
Optimal 12-50 people. Minimum 8, maximum 50. Participants split into teams of 4-6. Both in-person and online formats available.
Can it be done online?
Online format available on request. The game runs in the web app at trilemma.edunit.org. Discuss details when booking.
Can it be adapted for our industry?
The base scenario is energy policy (a universal context for strategic decisions). For corporate clients, we adapt the discussion and debrief to your team's challenges: connecting game insights to real business decisions.
How is this different from regular team building?
Regular team building entertains. Energy Trilemma develops: systems thinking, trade-off skills, strategy argumentation. Discussion and reflection with the facilitator transfer the game experience to real business situations.

Give your team decision-making practice — with no real-world consequences

We respond within one business day

We never share your data with third parties

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