In pursuit of diverse energy futures: The political economy of electricity in Senegal

2021 ◽  
pp. 251484862110348
Author(s):  
Mara van den Bold
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Electricity Sector ◽  
The Political ◽  
Oil Markets ◽  
Rural Access

In recent years, Senegal has proactively pursued the expansion of renewable energy generation, particularly from solar and wind. In addition to starting exploration of offshore liquefied natural gas, the expansion in renewable energy is posited as a way to help the country move toward low(er) carbon development, reduce dependence on volatile oil markets, and improve reliable (and especially rural) access to electricity. To achieve these objectives, the electricity sector has continuously undergone structural reforms to improve its financial viability and to achieve objectives around universal access to electricity, particularly by increasing private sector participation in electricity generation. Through the lens of “electricity capital,” this paper examines the implications of reforms in the electricity sector for processes of accumulation, in a context of efforts to improve environmentally sustainable development. It asks how capital in the electricity sector is constituted and operates in the Senegalese context, who has power in shaping how it operates, and how this has influenced the potential for achieving a fair and equitable transition to a low(er) carbon energy system. This paper draws on recent work in political ecology on energy transitions and emerging literature on the political economy of electricity, as well as on analysis of policy and technical documents and semi-structured interviews carried out with those involved in the energy sector between 2018 and 2020. Findings suggest that even though the Senegalese government has set clear objectives for the electricity sector that are based on principles of equity, environmental sustainability, and justice, the current power relations and financing arrangements taken on by the state and other actors active in the sector has, paradoxically, led to an approach that risks undermining these very principles.

Mapping Power

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Electricity Sector ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
The Political ◽  
Government Reform ◽  
High Quality ◽  
The Past ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
Political Economy Analysis

Electricity is critical to enabling India’s economic growth and providing a better future for its citizens. In spite of several decades of reform, the Indian electricity sector is unable to provide high-quality and affordable electricity for all, and grapples with the challenge of poor financial and operational performance. To understand why, Mapping Power provides the most comprehensive analysis of the political economy of electricity in India’s states. With chapters on fifteen states by scholars of state politics and electricity, this volume maps the political and economic forces that constrain and shape decisions in electricity distribute on. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it concludes that attempts to depoliticize the sector are misplaced and could worsen outcomes. Instead, it suggests that a historically grounded political economy analysis helps understand the past and devise reforms to simultaneously improve sectoral outcomes and generate political rewards. These arguments have implications for the challenges facing India’s electricity future, including providing electricity to all, implementing government reform schemes, and successfully managing the rise of renewable energy.

scholarly journals Playing development roles: the political ecology of performance in agricultural development

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Flachs ◽  
Paul Richards
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Special Section ◽  
The Political ◽  
Farm Work ◽  
Farming Communities

Performance is a useful lens through which to analyze agrarian life, as performance illuminates the ways that farmers manage the complex socioecological demands of farm work while participating in social life and in the larger political economy. The dialectic of planning and improvisation in the farm field has produced scholarship at multiple scales of political ecology, including the global ramifications of new technologies or policies, as well as the hyper-local engagements between farmers and fields in the context of modernity and development. Political ecologists are also beginning to understand how affects, such as aspirations and frustrations, influence agriculture by structuring how farmers and other stakeholders make decisions about farms, households, capital, and environments. To understand farm work as a performance is to situate it within particular stages, roles, scripts, and audiences at different scales. The articles in this Special Section ask how farmers have improvised, planned, and performed in response to agroecological challenges, bridging scholarship in political ecology, development studies, and the study of agrarian landscapes through new empirical case studies and theoretical contributions. Agriculture both signals social values and fosters improvisations within farming communities' collective vulnerability to weather and the political economy. We argue that the lens of performance situates the political ecology of agriculture within the constraints of the political economy, the aspirations and frustrations of daily life, and the dialectic between improvised responses to change and planning in the field.Keywords: Performance, agriculture, planning, improvisation, agrarian studies

scholarly journals The political economy of renewable energy policies in Germany and the EU

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 33-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Strunz ◽  
Erik Gawel ◽  
Paul Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
The Political ◽  
Energy Policies ◽  
Renewable Energy Policies ◽  
The Eu

scholarly journals Changing paradigms in corporate governance: new cycles and new responsibilities

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
The Political ◽  
Business And Society ◽  
Paradigm Shifts ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Wealth Generation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to trace the evolution of corporate governance through a series of changing paradigms in response to wider transformations in the political economy, business and society. The different eras of governance, and the dominant theoretical and practical paradigms are highlighted. In a context where the adequacy of the dominant paradigms of corporate governance is increasingly challenged, the search for coherent new paradigms is a vital task in corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a conceptual analysis of evolving paradigms in corporate governance. Findings – To meet the imminent challenge of social and environmental sustainability in a post-carbon economy, further rethinking of corporate purpose, corporate governance and directors duties will be essential. This sustainability revolution has only just commenced, but in the course of the twenty-first century, it will transform both business and society. Research limitations/implications – The implications of the research concern the importance of conceptualising corporate governance through different eras and paradigms, and appreciating that further paradigm shifts will occur in response to transformations in the political economy and ecology. Practical implications – This paper informs on the importance of the transformation of business purpose and objectives in response to the imminent dangers of environmental and social collapse. Social implications – This paper emphasises the social and environmental dimensions of corporate activity, and how these must be considered in the definition of wealth generation. Originality/value – The contribution of this paper is to focus upon the increasing integration of corporate governance and corporate sustainability, and how this is essential for the reformulation of corporate purpose and objectives.

The Political Economy of Renewable Energy: Prospects and Challenges for the Renewable Energy Sector in India Post-Paris Negotiations

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niharika Tagotra
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
The Political ◽  
Energy Companies ◽  
National Governments ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Global Transition

The global emphasis on reduction in carbon footprint has brought the issue of clean energy back into focus. There are two most notable aspects of the debate. The first aspect concerns the tension it has generated globally between the green energy industry and the traditional energy industries while the second aspect of the debate concerns the developing countries, which lack the necessary infrastructure and technology to make the transition to clean energy. This transition amounts to a remarkable shift in the socio-economic paradigms of developing nations like India which have a largely carbon-based economy. In this article, we study the global transition to clean energy using the political economy framework, wherein we analyse the role played by international regimes, national governments and energy companies in facilitating or inhibiting this transition. We also try and ponder over the impact this transition has on emerging economies like India and how they seek to cope with this while resolving the tension between economic growth and sustainability.

Renewable Energy in the Brazilian Amazon

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina McCormick
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
National Level ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Energy Planning ◽  
The Political ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Financial Interests ◽  
Political Economic

Understanding the political economic drivers of energy planning in the Brazilian Amazon is critical since the forest is increasingly vulnerable to destruction and related, increased poverty. This chapter investigates how political economy affects biomass and hydroelectricity development in that region. It focuses on political economy as characterized by: (1) the needs and agenda of local communities, (2) economic interests and politics at the national level, and (3) international social actors and financial interests. Findings advance our understanding of the political economy of renewable energy by first, focusing on a critical global resource, and second, by implementing a multi-scalar framework that also considers impacts and drivers of climate change.

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