50Hertz is in regular contact with different stakeholders. Internal, project-related guidelines outline relevant timelines and the dissemination of information regarding project planning, approval processes, public participation and stakeholder management. These guidelines also include best practice and recommended courses of action based on past experience, enabling the company to continuously develop its standardised public participation toolkit. In addition, 50Hertz actively participates in public discussions regarding the quality of public participation; for example, it is a member of the Alliance for Diverse Democracy which is coordinated by the Berlin Institut für Partizipation, and is a founding member of the DialogGesellschaft e. V[BH1] . The reference framework for 50Hertz includes relevant publications relating to good participation, such as Guideline 7000 of the Association of German Engineers (2015), the quality criteria of the Alliance for Diverse Democracy (2017) and the quality criteria of the Citizen Participation Network (2013). Along with various European environmental organisations and other TSOs, 50Hertz is a founding member of the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI), which promotes grid expansion across Europe that supports the effective integration of renewable energy and disseminates information about innovative participation practices.
Hybrid and virtual event formats were increasingly used for interactions with internal and external stakeholders throughout 2021. Examples include the roundtable discussions “New energy for strong industrial jobs”, the virtual Electricity Market Forum held by the four German transmission system operators and Elia Group’s stakeholders day, during which its ‘Roadmap to net zero’ publication was presented. These discussions and events involved high amounts of stakeholder participation (both in person and via virtual channels). Furthermore, most internal communication across the organisation was digitalised. For example, opportunities for staff to participate in decision-making, such as the General Works Council, were held as hybrid events throughout 2021.