Hello everyone, It’s that time of the month again—excited to share with you the Table of Contents (below) for the most recent volume of Energy Research & Social Science. This time around, Charlie Wilson has masterfully guest edited a Special Section of papers on “Disruptive Innovation and Energy Transformation.” Note also many articles touching on themes specifically relevant for this group, i.e. politics, policies, institutions, and governance.
As always, those lacking access to papers can simply email me individual requests. Due to some Special Issues in press, our next volume (35) will go back in time to be time-stamped in January. If only we had Michael J. Fox to promote it. Sincerely, Benjamin Sovacool Editor in Chief Energy Research & Social Science Special Section on Disruptive Innovation and Energy Transformation Charlie Wilson, David Tyfield, Critical perspectives on disruptive innovation and energy transformation, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 211-215, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.032. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303626) Abstract: What are ‘disruption’ and ‘disruptive innovation’? And what relevance do they have for energy transformation? Ten critical perspectives offer ten contrasting responses to these questions. The relevance of Christensen’s canonical definition of disruptive innovation is highly contested in its applicability to energy and climate challenges, as is the usefulness of analysing discrete business models or technologies rather than socio-technical systems. Further research on disruptive innovation and energy transformation needs to tackle: (i) the social, systemic and emissions impact of widespread adoption; (ii) how to mitigate the adverse distributional consequences of disruption; (iii) the consumer appeal of ‘good enough’ products for users marginalised or excluded from mainstream markets; (iv) the role of incumbents in system transformation; and (v) the reasons for geographic variation in disruption processes currently underway. Keywords: Disruption; Innovation; Climate; System Charlie Wilson, Disruptive low-carbon innovations, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 216-223, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.053. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303857) Abstract: This perspective article considers the potential for disruptive innovations to transform the market for energy-related goods and services in line with emission reductions required for stringent mitigation. Its rationale is that consumers are a neglected constituency in societal efforts to meet climate policy objectives. First, I review Christensen’s canonical definition of disruptive innovation as low-end products offering novel sources of value to users marginalised or over-supplied by mainstream markets. Second, I apply disruptive innovation concepts to the challenge of climate change mitigation and the necessary contribution of low-carbon innovation. There are both potentials for disruptive low-carbon innovations but also problems in achieving social benefits through the consumption of private goods. Third, I set out a series of criteria for disruptive low-carbon innovations and apply these to identify sets of potential innovations relating to mobility, buildings & cities, food, and energy supply. A wide range of consumer-facing innovations offer goods or services with novel attributes currently valued only in small market niches. Fourth, I report on the findings of two workshops on disruptive low-carbon innovation involving innovators, market intermediaries, policymakers and researchers. Different stakeholders hold sharply contrasting understandings of disruptive low-carbon innovation and its distinctive relevance for energy transformation. Keywords: Disruptive; Innovation; Climate mitigation Frank W. Geels, Disruption and low-carbon system transformation: Progress and new challenges in socio-technical transitions research and the Multi-Level Perspective, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 224-231, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.010. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303377) Abstract: This paper firstly assesses the usefulness of Christensen’s disruptive innovation framework for low-carbon system change, identifying three conceptual limitations with regard to the unit of analysis (products rather than systems), limited multi-dimensionality, and a simplistic (‘point source’) conception of change. Secondly, it shows that the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) offers a more comprehensive framework on all three dimensions. Thirdly, it reviews progress in socio-technical transition research and the MLP on these three dimensions and identifies new challenges, including ‘whole system’ reconfiguration, multi-dimensional struggles, bi-directional niche-regime interactions, and an alignment conception of change. To address these challenges, transition research should further deepen and broaden its engagement with the social sciences. Keywords: Low-carbon transitions; Disruption; Multi-Level Perspective; Research agenda Mark Winskel, Beyond the disruption narrative: Varieties and ambiguities of energy system change, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 232-237, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.046. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303766) Abstract: For many observers we are entering an age of heightened disruption in energy systems – a ‘disruption narrative’ is now prominent and seemingly widely-shared. The energy disruption narrative often goes beyond the merely descriptive: it is also often used in a normative way, in that system disruption is seen as a necessary and welcome enabler of the shift to more sustainable and more rapidly decarbonised energy systems. While not denying that there are significant changes underway in the operation and governance of energy systems, I reflect here on the assumptions associated with the disruption narrative and its value as a guide to policy and research. I firstly review some theoretical and empirical research on disruptive innovation, consider some empirical evidence on historic energy system change, and then reflect on the value of a disruptive narrative in ‘energy futures’ research and policy. The disruption narrative is a contestable framing for researchers, across both ‘whole systems’ analysis and more specific technological and organisational level study, and is a problematic guide for policy. Researchers and policymakers should be sceptical of uniform narratives about change, and seek more balanced attention to both disruptive and continuity-based dynamics of energy system change and sustainable transitions. Keywords: Energy; Innovation; Continuity; Disruption Frances Sprei, Disrupting mobility, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 238-242, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.029. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303596) Abstract: Personal mobility is facing three major innovations that have disruptive potential: electrification, shared mobility and automation. In this perspective I present each of these on their own and look at their role in disrupting the auto industry, the transport system and energy system. The largest disruptive potential lies in the combination of these three innovations, i.e., in the shared autonomous electric vehicles (SAEV). While shared mobility per se might not have the potential to truly disrupt the transport system it is necessary to steer electrification and automation in a more sustainable direction. Technology and innovations alone will not be sufficient to create a new sustainable transportation system, regulations will also be necessary. Keywords: Shared mobility; Autonomous vehicles; Electrification Will McDowall, Disruptive innovation and energy transitions: Is Christensen’s theory helpful?, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 243-246, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.049. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303778) Abstract: Clayton Christensen’s term, ‘disruptive innovation’ has become widespread. Unfortunately, Christensen’s theory relies on far too narrow a conception of both disruption and innovation to be a central framework for thinking about low-carbon transitions. It is better understood as describing one specific mechanism of technological and industrial change that contributes to a broader framework of understanding transitions. It should also be understood as a warning and reminder: businesses, policy analysts and energy modellers alike are prone to overlook potential shifts in user demands, and the technological changes that chase and enable them. Keywords: Innovation; Energy transitions; Energy modelling Gert Jan Kramer, Energy scenarios—Exploring disruption and innovation, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 247-250, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.047. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221462961730378X) Abstract: In this perspective I argue that the term ‘disruptive innovation’ is at best too narrow and at worst meaningless to describe the important transformation of energy in the light of the pressing problem of climate change and the ambition to reach the targets of the Paris accord. Breaking the term apart, however, into disruption and innovation opens up a rich space for scenario exploration. If we take stock of what is possible or even likely to happen over the next decades, I conclude that we would do well to be more open-minded with respect to the nature and impact of disruption, and broaden the discourse of innovation beyond technical and business innovation. Keywords: Energy transition; Scenarios; Futuring; Disruptive innovation Elisabeth Dütschke, Julius P. Wesche, The energy transformation as a disruptive development at community level, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 251-254, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.030. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303602) Abstract: Mankind is facing huge challenges due to climate change and subnational actors are increasingly considered to be relevant actors in the energy transition. In this paper, we argue that the municipal level will play a crucial role in a rapidly changing energy system and that the impact of this development can be labelled disruptive if we apply an adapted definition of the term disruptiveness that refers to system change. We illustrate this based on the example of implementing renewable district heating systems, which depend strongly on community support. Keywords: Communities; Municipalities; Heat transition; Sustainability Tim Dixon, Simon Lannon, Malcolm Eames, Reflections on disruptive energy innovation in urban retrofitting: Methodology, practice and policy, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 255-259, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.009. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303365) Abstract: Retrofitting cities provides major challenges for decision-makers and planners seeking to provide strategic management of urban transitions. Recognising the implications of disruptive innovations for the urban energy sector is key to understanding how transition management can be operationalised. This also requires an integrated urban foresight approach to engage with city stakeholders in exploring the construction of socio-technical urban retrofit processes across a variety of scales and domains Keywords: Disruptive innovation; Cities; Retrofitting; Sustainable development Phil Johnstone, Paula Kivimaa, Multiple dimensions of disruption, energy transitions and industrial policy, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 260-265, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.027. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303572) Abstract: In this perspective article, we critically explore ‘disruption’ in relation to sustainability transitions in the energy sector. Recognising significant ambiguity associated with the term, we seek to answer the question: What use has ‘disruption’ for understanding and promoting change towards low carbon energy futures? First, we outline that different understandings and dimensions of ‘system disruption’ exist with different linkages to institutional and policy change. This variety points out a need to research in more detail the particular effects of differing low-carbon innovations in terms of their disruptive consequences for whole socio-technical systems. Thus, disruption can be utilised as a useful conceptual tool for interrogating in more detail the ways in which energy systems are changing in particular contexts. Second, we reflect on the relationship between ‘green industrial policy’ and disruption. In some contexts ‘energy disruption’ has been facilitated by green industrial policy, and it would seem that the profound changes said to be on the horizon in terms of disruption are also a motivator of green industrial policy. New industrial policy can be an important way in which the negative consequences of disruptive change, such as job losses, can be managed and facilitated. Keywords: Energy; Disruptive innovation; Sustainability transitions; Industrial policy David Tyfield, Innovating innovation—Disruptive innovation in China and the low-carbon transition of capitalism, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 266-274, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.024. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303523) Abstract: Disruptive innovation offers significant promise regarding expedited global low-carbon transition, set against currently inadequate efforts. In order to appreciate its significance, however, disruptive low-carbon innovation must be analysed in the light of three key shifts in perspective: to an analysis of system transition and low-carbon innovation itself in terms of power/knowledge; to appraisal of the significance of digital innovation (similarly reconceptualised) and its embryonic convergence with disruptive innovation; and to a geographical focus on innovation happening not (just) in locations usually presumed as leading in hi-tech, but to developing countries and especially China. Indeed, exploring disruptive innovation in this way shows that assenting to the commonplace discourse through which Silicon Valley Tech innovation is identified as ‘disruptive’ is to conflate problem with solution. Conversely, this approach shows just how significant disruptive innovation is likely to prove to low-carbon transition, effecting a disruption of innovation itself, and thence of capitalism, from which any such transition must ultimately emerge. Keywords: Disruptive low-carbon innovation; Complex power/knowledge systems; Digital innovation; China Perspectives Andrew Chapman, Kenshi Itaoka, Curiosity, economic and environmental reasoning: Public perceptions of liberalization and renewable energy transition in Japan, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 102-110, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.026. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303109) Abstract: A public survey of energy users across Japan was conducted in March of 2017. It is almost one year since liberalization of the low voltage electricity market for households and small retail premises, for whom we identified an opportunity to play a positive role through their choices and participation in the energy market, which may influence the ongoing energy system restructure in Japan. The survey asked about changing to a new power provider, and about the installation of rooftop photovoltaic systems to identify the reasoning behind these choices. Additionally, future hypothetical energy scenarios were tested. The results show that a significant portion of the public make participatory decisions to gain an economic benefit, while another group appears curious about new technology, seeking information before reaching a decision in order to satisfy their curiosity. Both groups are larger than the third significant group, whose decision making is guided by environmental reasoning. The results also show that a large portion of the public are relatively conservative in their energy choices, leading to a very passive approach, while a small portion of respondents demonstrated a more active stance. These findings have ramifications for the future energy system and implications for energy policy development. Keywords: Energy; Technology; Policy; Choice; Transition Sanya Carley, Tom P. Evans, David M. Konisky, Adaptation, culture, and the energy transition in American coal country, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 133-139, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.007. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303341) Abstract: The U.S. coal industry has experienced economic decline over the past several decades, which has resulted in a loss of mining jobs and severe economic hardship in many coal communities. Recent efforts to relax environmental regulations are ostensibly intended to help relieve this hardship and to revitalize this industry. Based on evidence gathered from focus groups and interviews conducted in U.S. coal communities, we argue that coal communities that have experienced mine closures have already begun an economic and social transition, one that is based on reshaping their culture and sense of identity, and false promises to return coal jobs can be destructive to the progress that has been made. Keywords: Coal communities; Energy transition; Environmental regulations; Energy policy Michael Jefferson, Safeguarding rural landscapes in the new era of energy transition to a low carbon future, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 191-197, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.005. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303328) Abstract: This paper focuses on threatened future intrusions of energy infrastructure on rural landscapes. In recent years there has been a large outpouring of publications apparently related to “the energy landscape” and “urban energy landscape”. In the author's view this is a misleading use of the word “landscape”. Here the words “rural landscape” refer to rural and countryside, as distinct from town, as they have done in the English language for over 400 years (according to the Oxford English Dictionary). There are many reasons for concern about the future of our rural landscapes due to human initiatives, among which are scarcely constrained developments of onshore wind turbines, ground-mounted solar PV, and “modern” biomass and biofuels. Guidelines and regulations aimed at protection are frequently evaded. Those supposed to apply guidelines and regulations often fail in their duty. Areas supposed to be protected from intrusion by international, national, or local regulations are exploited. A sustainable future requires us to preserve scenic values and protect many rural landscapes. This will require much stricter limits on the location of renewable energy developments in the countryside. Keywords: Rural landscapes; Renewable energy; Intrusions and threats concerns; Concerns, and responses required Social science and energy studies Mark Winskel, The pursuit of interdisciplinary whole systems energy research: Insights from the UK Energy Research Centre, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 74-84, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.012. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302785) Abstract: Interdisciplinary whole systems research (WSR) is attracting increasing interest as a way to address to complex societal challenges such as sustainable energy. However, WSR typically involves challenging research elements (radical disciplinary scope, integrative knowledge production and transdisciplinary design), which are seen by some as intellectually and institutionally flawed. Drawing on the interdisciplinary studies literature, this paper considers WSR strategy and practice in the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) over its first two phases (2004–14) and compares UKERC to other similar UK-based initiatives. WSR strategy and practice face a number of tensions: integration versus diversity, stability versus flexibility and independence versus engagement. The emphasis in UKERC was on integration in the first phase and diversity and flexibility in the second phase – a pattern largely imposed by funders, assessors and stakeholders, rather than by internal strategy. Though granted ambitious remits, WSR is often funded, practised and assessed in the margins of disciplinary based research systems, rather than as a distinctive research form. There is a need to better attend to the choices and trade-offs involved in WSR strategy and practice, drawing on the experiences of UKERC and other initiatives. As a guide, the paper introduces a number of interdisciplinary WSR archetypes. Keywords: Interdisciplinary; Whole systems; Research; Energy The acceptance of energy systems Rodrigo Lozano, Angus Reid, Socially responsible or reprehensible? Investors, electricity utility companies, and transformative change in Europe, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 37-43, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.018. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302992) Abstract: The overwhelming reliance of modern society based fossil-based non-renewable sources of energy production represent a major challenge to sustainability. Moving towards a new more sustainable generation mix affects investments on electricity utility companies. This presents a dual challenge for companies: 1) the electricity generation mix decision; and 2) their future access to and cost of capital. This research focuses on the role that investors have in developing new more sustainable generation mix models. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with investors working at a major European asset manager company. The interviewees highlighted the integration of renewable technologies as a key challenge to the viability of the utilities in the future. Other key challenges included a rising carbon price, greater decoupling of energy use and GDP growth, policy constraints and uncertain regulatory frameworks, lack of relevant core competencies to innovate in their business models, the integration of renewable energy into their own generation mixes and the grid, the role of new technologies, and a lack of urgency from top management. The findings indicate that investors play a key role in shaping electricity generation mixes, where the principal, agents, and clients must be willing to develop and adopt more sustainable generation mix models. Keywords: Sustainable investment; Business model innovation; Electricity utility companies; Agency theory Arundhati Jagadish, Puneet Dwivedi, In the hearth, on the mind: Cultural consensus on fuelwood and cookstoves in the middle Himalayas of India, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 44-51, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.017. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302980) Abstract: While studies show that biomass-based ‘traditional’ cookstoves adversely impact health and environment, governments and nonprofits have struggled to achieve sustained adoption of cleaner cookstoves. Most cookstove diffusion programs focus on cookstove design, process of technology introduction, or market mechanisms. While such mechanisms are important, we postulate that a socio-cultural approach will go farther in informing programs that aim to diffuse cleaner cookstoves in developing countries. With our study, we step back from problems surrounding diffusion and deconstruct cultural beliefs that drive fuelwood and cookstove use in Lug Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. The goal of this research is to understand the degree of consensus in shared beliefs regarding fuelwood use and cookstoves. Using cultural consensus analysis, we found an agreement amongst people for using fuelwood from forests and preferences for various cookstoves. We found that fuelwood use is driven by availability, lack of alternatives, and lack of infrastructure. Household factors like seasonality, cleanliness, smoke emitted, costs, taste of food influence choice of cookstoves at a household level. Cultural domains for fuelwood and cookstoves were independent from each other, therefore a holistic diffusion program focusing on cookstoves and fuel types is needed for diffusion of sustainable energy alternatives. Keywords: Cookstoves; Cultural consensus; Fuelwood; Himalayas Kirsten Gram-Hanssen, Sarah J. Darby, “Home is where the smart is”? Evaluating smart home research and approaches against the concept of home, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 94-101, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.037. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303213) Abstract: This article develops concepts of what the home is and reflects on smart home technology and the research literature on smart homes in relation to these concepts. The focus is on the aspects of smart home technologies related to energy management within the home (end-uses) and at network or grid level (system). Four aspects of a home are distinguished: a place for security and control, for activity, for relationships and continuity, and for identity and values. These aspects of home are used to discuss approaches to, and ideas of, the smart home, as reflected in the research literature. It is shown that technical and ‘prospective’ research literature focuses on aspects of security and control in the home as well as on activities, whereas research papers that are more conceptual and evaluative are more likely to include questions of relations, values and identities. The paper concludes that a broader understanding of the home in all aspects is needed when conducting research into smart homes. This can be valuable when evaluating how smart home technologies work in real homes, as well as in the more technical and prospective approaches to developing new socio-technical configurations. Keywords: Smart energy; DIY; Meaning of home; Energy management Energy politics and national profiles Joshua Busby, Xue Gao, Sarang Shidore, Turning the carbon supertanker: Sectoral feasibility of climate change mitigation in China, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 198-210, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.003. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302694) Abstract: Whether China can slow the growth of emissions of greenhouse gases and ultimately reduce them has become a central question for climate mitigation. In previous research on India, we developed a theoretical framework to assess the structural characteristics of different sectors and identify which ones were most amenable to mitigation. In this article, we extend that approach to China and review the nine sectors responsible for most of the country's emissions. These include electricity (disaggregating renewables, nuclear, and coal), road transportation, four disaggregated industry sub-sectors (steel, cement, fertilizers, and oil refining), and buildings. We identify two sets of attributes, what we called political/organizational feasibility and techno-economic feasibility, that together shape the possibilities for emissions mitigation. Our central intuition is that fragmentation − on the government or market side or both − makes collective action more difficult. Cement, steel, and oil refining possess favorable characteristics on both political/organizational feasibility and techno-economic feasibility, while fertilizers and renewables pose the most difficult challenges on both dimensions. Buildings and road transport are mixed cases, where techno-economic feasibility is high while political/organizational dynamics are more challenging. Finally, coal and nuclear are mixed cases where political/organizational feasibility is high but techno-economic aspects are more challenging. Keywords: China; Climate change; Sectoral; Political feasibility; Mitigation Energy institutions and governance Henk-Jan Kooij, Marieke Oteman, Sietske Veenman, Karl Sperling, Dick Magnusson, Jenny Palm, Frede Hvelplund, Between grassroots and treetops: Community power and institutional dependence in the renewable energy sector in Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 52-64, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.019. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303006) Abstract: The speed and progress of transitions towards renewable energy systems varies greatly between European member states. Among others, these differences have been attributed to the emergence of grassroots initiatives (GIs) that develop radical ideas and sustainable practices. The goal of this paper is to understand the differences in the emergence of GIs for renewable energy in relation to the institutional characteristics of Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden. We analyze the possibilities of GIs to emerge and act within three dimensions: the material-economic, the actor-institutional and discursive dimension. We conclude that conditional factors lie within the material-economic dimension in terms of the biophysical conditions, the structure of the economy, energy dependency and the energy market. Within the actor-institutional dimension, we conclude that the presence or absence of fossil fuel incumbents, such as regional utilities, strongly influence the possibilities of GIs. Within the discursive dimension, openness for alternative discourses proved to be enabling for GI-activities, as well as democratized knowledge production. In addition to these conditions of possibility, GIs can also act despite dominant institutions, albeit limited. Finally, GIs need a strong network with knowledge institutes, technology developers and political parties in order to achieve institutional change that enables GIs to flourish. Without institutional space, GIs remain subjected to the dominant power-relations, and cannot exert much influence upon the energy system. Keywords: Grassroots initiatives; Renewable energy transition; Institutional change; Conditions of possibility Mustafa Hasanov, Christian Zuidema, The transformative power of self-organization: Towards a conceptual framework for understanding local energy initiatives in The Netherlands, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 85-93, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.038. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303225) Abstract: Self-organization has been previously coined as a concept that describes the shifting relationships between citizen groups and institutional stakeholders in various fields, including sustainability and energy transitions. Yet, little has been known about what exactly the transformative power of self-organization is. The present article discusses processes of self-organization associated with small-scale, decentralized energy projects, such as local energy initiatives. By building on prior literature on energy initiatives, self-organization, and niche-regime interaction, attention is given to the mutually reinforcing relationship between local initiatives and the institutional context in which this relationship is situated. In analyzing the relationship between the internal aspects of the initiatives and their institutional arrangements, this article suggests that the processes of self-organization facilitate socio-institutional practices that are observable not only within the initiatives but also traceable in wider institutional contexts. These socio-institutional practices are essential for a better understanding of the interface between the citizen-driven energy projects and local governance. The analysis further supports the idea that processes of self-organization, along with market-led and state-led mechanism, underpin innovative and pragmatic pathways which could enhance the energy transition towards a carbon neutral future. Keywords: Self-organization; Local energy initiatives; The Netherlands; Energy transition; Transformative power Vasco Brummer, Of expertise, social capital, and democracy: Assessing the organizational governance and decision-making in German Renewable Energy Cooperatives, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 111-121, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.039. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303250) Abstract: We examine the unique challenges pertaining to organizational governance and decision-making in Renewable Energy Cooperatives (REC). We find that internal governance frameworks often overrule competing external frameworks, leading to decision-making processes in the RECs that conflict with the external governance framework stipulated by law. Although results were based on a single-country (Germany) analysis of 15 different RECs, the data we gathered from 38 problem-centered interviews and 15 participant observations, when positioned within the broader context of social-political governance, reveal problems and challenges that likely pertain to all RECs. RECs have helped propel the energy transition, and now they are being challenged to integrate their sizable social capital into the broader energy system. Expertise is often called for beyond what a volunteer organization can support. This leads to strains in the democratic approach to decision-making. These strains can be analyzed using transaction cost theory. Efforts at transaction cost minimization lead to decisions being made by the internal governance framework, even though these decisions conflict with the existing governance framework stipulated by law. This perspective yields insight both for policy makers and for REC managers seeking paths to growth. Keywords: Energy cooperatives; Governance; Renewable energy; Community energy Cleyton M. Cavallaro, Joshua M. Pearce, Roman Sidortsov, Decarbonizing the boardroom? Aligning electric utility executive compensation with climate change incentives, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 153-162, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.036. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303201) Abstract: Despite the drastic reversal of decarbonization effort by the Trump administration, the majority of U.S. states continue policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing renewable energy technology (RET) deployment. Although electrical power utilities are required and/or encouraged to comply with these policies, their executives lack direct incentives to do so. In this study, a novel incentive mechanism is evaluated for aligning utility executive compensation with such policies. First, an overview is provided on chief executive officer (CEO) pay and the GHG emissions of utilities. The relationship between GHG emissions, renewable energy diversification, and CEO pay is examined using the case study of three of the largest electric utilities in Michigan. The results show that the regulated utility market is not consistently rewarding CEOs with higher compensation for decreasing GHG emissions and that both an approach incentivizing RETs adoption and an approach encouraging GHG emissions have deficiencies. A combined approach is then analyzed that results in a compensation equation allowing for utility executives to receive incentive pay for reducing overall emissions and increasing renewable generation. The results indicate that by careful calibration of the proposed incentive equations the harmful effects of emissions can be prevented through CEO incentive pay. Keywords: CEO compensation; Electric utility; Emissions; Executive compensation Energy transitions Daniel Rosenbloom, Brendan Haley, James Meadowcroft, Critical choices and the politics of decarbonization pathways: Exploring branching points surrounding low-carbon transitions in Canadian electricity systems, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 22-36, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.022. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303055) Abstract: Transition pathways have attracted increasing interest as a useful analytical lens through which to capture the interlocking processes, patterns, and directions that might constitute substantial movement toward sustainability. While recent research has elaborated the political character of pathways, there is still room to further scrutinize the role of critical choices and branching points in defining diverging pathways. Contributing to the growing body of research on pathways, this study develops an approach that: (1) elaborates the dynamics that open branching points and (2) illustrates how critical choices help define the direction taken at these openings, giving rise to diverging decarbonization pathways. As part of this, the contested nature of critical choices is examined, revealing how actors struggle to shape possible trajectories. This approach is demonstrated by exploring unfolding low-carbon pathways in Canadian electricity systems, drawing lessons for the practice and theory of pathways. In particular, findings indicate that attending to branching points more explicitly exposes the implications and trade-offs embodied within choices by linking near-term decisions to long-run low-carbon configurations. Keywords: Socio-technical transitions; Pathways; Branching points; Critical choices; Climate change mitigation Francis G.N. Li, Steve Pye, Uncertainty, politics, and technology: Expert perceptions on energy transitions in the United Kingdom, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 122-132, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.003. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303304) Abstract: Energy policy is beset by deep uncertainties, owing to the scale of future transitions, the long-term timescales for action, and numerous stakeholders. This paper provides insights from semi-structured interviews with 31 UK experts from government, industry, academia, and civil society. Participants were asked for their views on the major uncertainties surrounding the ability of the UK to meet its 2050 climate targets. The research reveals a range of views on the most critical uncertainties, how they can be mitigated, and how the research community can develop approaches to better support strategic decision-making. The study finds that the socio-political dimensions of uncertainty are discussed by experts almost as frequently as technological ones, but that there exist divergent perspectives on the role of government in the transition and whether or not there is a requirement for increased societal engagement. Finally, the study finds that decision-makers require a new approach to uncertainty assessment that overcomes analytical limits to existing practice, is more flexible and adaptable, and which better integrates qualitative narratives with quantitative analysis. Policy design must escape from ‘caged’ thinking concerning what can or cannot be included in models, and therefore what types of uncertainties can or cannot be explored. Keywords: Climate policy; Energy policy; Uncertainty analysis; Decision-making Paul Upham, Elisabeth Dütschke, Uta Schneider, Christian Oltra, Roser Sala, Monica Lores, Rita Klapper, Paula Bögel, Agency and structure in a sociotechnical transition: Hydrogen fuel cells, conjunctural knowledge and structuration in Europe, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 163-174, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.040. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303262) Abstract: Despite each level of the multilevel perspective of sociotechnical transitions reflecting a different degree of structuration, structuration perspectives have been little used to help explain sociotechnical change and stasis. Here we show how ‘strong structuration’ can be used to theorise the role of agency in sociotechnical systems in a way that brings together psychological and sociological perspectives. Strong structuration gives weight not only to actors’ practices, but also to their experiences. Practices and structures are viewed as mutually influencing, as in Giddens’ original conception, but the role of situated, subjective experience is also explicitly acknowledged. Applying this perspective, we show how individual attitudes and beliefs in relation to a niche energy technology are influenced by experience of national economic and innovation policy environments, with in turn implications for expectations of action by self and others. The overall aim is to illustrate a framework that connects individual psychology to practice, with implications for sociotechnical structure. For this purpose we draw on case study data of European R&D stakeholder opinion of stationary hydrogen fuel cell applications for heat and power, focusing particularly on the contrasting situations of the UK, Germany and Spain. Keywords: Sociotechnical transitions; Structuration; Hydrogen fuel cells; Psychology Aleh Cherp, Vadim Vinichenko, Jessica Jewell, Elina Brutschin, Benjamin Sovacool, Integrating techno-economic, socio-technical and political perspectives on national energy transitions: A meta-theoretical framework, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 175-190, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.015. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302815) Abstract: Economic development, technological innovation, and policy change are especially prominent factors shaping energy transitions. Therefore explaining energy transitions requires combining insights from disciplines investigating these factors. The existing literature is not consistent in identifying these disciplines nor proposing how they can be combined. We conceptualize national energy transitions as a co-evolution of three types of systems: energy flows and markets, energy technologies, and energy-related policies. The focus on the three types of systems gives rise to three perspectives on national energy transitions: techno-economic with its roots in energy systems analysis and various domains of economics; socio-technical with its roots in sociology of technology, STS, and evolutionary economics; and political with its roots in political science. We use the three perspectives as an organizing principle to propose a meta-theoretical framework for analyzing national energy transitions. Following Elinor Ostrom's approach, the proposed framework explains national energy transitions through a nested conceptual map of variables and theories. In comparison with the existing meta-theoretical literature, the three perspectives framework elevates the role of political science since policies are likely to be increasingly prominent in shaping 21st century energy transitions. Keywords: Energy transitions; Meta-theoretical framework; Variables; Co-evolution Energy equity and justice Nina Kelsey, Jonas Meckling, Who wins in renewable energy? Evidence from Europe and the United States, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 65-73, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.08.003. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302426) Abstract: The emerging transition to renewable energy, such as wind and solar photovoltaics, creates winners and losers in electricity markets. The political battle unfolds largely between incumbent electric utilities on the one hand and challenger firms such as independent power producers on the other. Here, we provide the first cross-national study of renewable energy ownership, based on an original dataset of fifty-nine jurisdictions in Europe and the United States. We find that independent power producers operating utility-scale generation dominate renewable energy capacity across electricity markets. Incumbent utilities and small producers of distributed generation hold substantially less capacity. Counter to expectations, this global trend is largely independent from two basic policy choices: the choice of support policy—feed-in tariffs versus renewable portfolio standards—and the choice of electricity market policy—liberalization versus regulation of power markets—only explain marginal effects on distributional outcomes. Rather, the resource potential of jurisdictions, relative technology prices, and the market effects of technological disruption likely account for the rise of medium-sized and large independent power producers as the dominant players in the transition to renewable energy. The transition to sustainable energy thus follows a substitution path, in which challenger firms prevail over incumbent utilities in renewable energy. Keywords: Energy transition; Renewable energy; Solar; Wind; Political economy; Electric utilities Maria Tysiachniouk, Laura A. Henry, Machiel Lamers, Jan P.M. van Tatenhove, Oil and indigenous people in sub-Arctic Russia: Rethinking equity and governance in benefit sharing agreements, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 140-152, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.004. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302700) Abstract: How can the interests of extractive industries and indigenous communities in the Arctic be balanced through benefit sharing policies? This paper analyses how the international oil consortia of Sakhalin Energy and Exxon Neftegaz Limited (ENL) on Sakhalin Island in Russia have introduced benefit sharing through tripartite partnerships. We demonstrate that the procedural and distributional equity of benefit sharing depend on corporate policies, global standards, pressure from international financial institutions, and local social movements connected in a governance generating network. Sakhalin Energy was profoundly influenced by international financial institutions’ global rules related to environmental and indigenous people’s interests. The benefit sharing arrangement that evolved under these influences resulted in enhanced procedural equity for indigenous people, but has not prevented conflict with and within communities. In contrast, ENL was not significantly influenced by international financial institutions. Its more flexible and limited benefit sharing arrangement was shaped predominantly by global corporate policies, pressure from the regional government and the influence of Sakhalin Energy’s model. The paper closes with policy recommendations on benefit sharing arrangements between extractive industries and indigenous communities across Arctic states that could be further developed by the Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group. Keywords: Benefit sharing; Oil consortia; Indigenous people; Procedural and distributional equity Energy innovation and research Jorrit Gosens, Hans Hellsmark, Tomas Kåberger, Li Liu, Björn A. Sandén, Shurong Wang, Lei Zhao, The limits of academic entrepreneurship: Conflicting expectations about commercialization and innovation in China’s nascent sector for advanced bio-energy technologies, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 1-11, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.014. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302803) Abstract: Despite many years of substantial government research funding, advanced bio-energy technologies in China have seen limited commercial application. Chinese policy makers are increasingly critical of academic organizations for neglecting their role in the transfer of scientific results into industrial applications. We interviewed a selection of Chinese research groups working on bio-energy technologies, and asked them to describe their efforts at commercialization. We found that they focus their research on technological pathways with commercial potential, they patent and attempt to license their technologies, they are highly involved in large scale demonstration plants, and have created a number of new firms. Industry and government may have unrealistic expectations on the maturity and scale of technologies that academia can develop, however. These findings contrast with many earlier analyses of early commercialization stages of novel technologies, which have commonly identified lacking academic entrepreneurship as a root cause in stalling development. Keywords: Academic entrepreneurship; China; Bioenergy; Third mission; Technology transfer and commercialization Content analyses and media representations Nichole Dusyk, Jonn Axsen, Kia Dullemond, Who cares about climate change? The mass media and socio-political acceptance of Canada’s oil sands and Northern Gateway Pipeline, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 37, March 2018, Pages 12-21, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.07.005. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617302177) Abstract: Canada’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline would carry unrefined bitumen from the Alberta oil sands to the coast of British Columbia for international export. Socio-political acceptance or opposition can determine the fate of such projects, and media coverage offers insight into public discourse, including how the project is framed. We analyzed print media coverage of the project in six Canadian newspapers, including 2097 articles published from 2008 to 2014. The objectives were threefold: 1) to characterize media framing of the project using a risk/benefit framework; 2) to identify regional differences in framing between the two affected provinces; and 3) to investigate the framing of environmental risk. Our findings demonstrate that public debate is dominated by environmental risk of the project with a tendency to frame the project as a trade-off between economic benefit and environment risk. Despite a strongly regional distribution of risks and benefits, we did not find substantial differences in framing between newspapers in the two affected provinces. Finally we found that the environmental risk frame was presented predominately according to potential local impacts due to pipeline or tanker rupture. The global impacts of climate change were rarely mentioned despite the large carbon footprint of the Alberta oil sands. Keywords: Unconventional fossil fuels; Oil sands; Climate change; Media analysis; Climate policy -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "gep-ed" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
