Understanding the spatial unevenness of regional renewable energy deployment: insights for policy design

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla De Laurentis ◽  
Peter JG Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Capacity Planning ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
Political Autonomy ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background This paper suggests that renewable energy (RE) deployment processes and their spatial unevenness can be explained by analysing the socio-material dimensions of RE. It explains how particular regional RE paths come to be favoured or hampered, and identifies factors that have contributed to these different outcomes. The paper shows the merit of investigating regional agency in energy research. Methods Using a novel analytical framework, the research performs a comparative case study analysis of selected regions in Italy and the UK, drawing on data obtained via documentary analysis and extensive in-depth interviews. Results The factors that explain regional variation in RE deployment are highlighted, providing evidence of how the distinctive features of RE deployment in five different regions arose and could be identified. The paper shows that understanding the socio-material dimensions of RE offers opportunities to understand the spatial unevenness of RE deployment at the regional levels and how to address it. While some regions have managed to successfully align their strategies and governance in order to maximise their RE potential, others have been less effective. The key features that influence the pace and direction of RE deployment at the regional level are i) the ways in which targets and resource availability are seen as drivers for RE deployment, ii) the degree of political autonomy in planning and the capacity to facilitate consenting processes at sub-regional levels, iii) the political will for RE expansion, elite consensus and the presence of relevant industry actors, and iv) the participation and involvement of regional government, even in the absence of formal regulatory powers, in shaping essential energy infrastructure investment. Conclusion While institutional capacity, planning and governance, the variety of actors and interests, compelling visions and credible expectations are all necessary prerequisites for coherent policy outcomes, the effects and degree of success can vary. This variance is influenced by the peculiarities and specificities of the regional contexts in which RE projects emerge. By identifying which aspects tend to constrain or enable RE deployment at the regional level, the paper helps to reveal the policy challenges that emerge and how they might be addressed.

scholarly journals Policy-relevant insights for regional renewable energy deployment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla De Laurentis ◽  
Peter J. G. Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
Governance Capacity ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background The paper explores how regional actors engage with energy systems, flows and infrastructures in order to meet particular goals and offers a fine-tuned analysis of how differences arise, highlighting the policy-relevant insights that emerge. Methods Using a novel framework, the research performs a comparative case study analysis of three regions in Italy and two of the devolved territories of the UK, Wales and Scotland, drawing on interviews and documentary analysis. Results The paper shows that acknowledging the socio-materialities of renewable energy allows a fine-tuned analysis of how institutions, governance and infrastructure can enable/constrain energy transitions and policy effectiveness at local and regional levels. The heuristic adopted highlights (i) the institutions that matter for renewable energy and their varied effects on regional renewable energy deployment; (ii) the range of agencies involved in strategically establishing, contesting and reproducing institutions, expectations, visions and infrastructure as renewable energy deployment unfolds at the regional level and (iii) the nature and extent of infrastructure requirements for and constraints on renewable energy delivery and how they affect the regional capacity to shape infrastructure networks and facilitate renewable energy deployment. The paper shows how the regions investigated developed their institutional and governance capacity and made use of targets, energy visions and spatial planning to promote renewable energy deployment. It shows that several mediating factors emerge from examining the interactions between regional physical resource endowments and energy infrastructure renewal and expansion. The analysis leads to policy-relevant insights into what makes for renewable energy deployment. Conclusion The paper contributes to research that demonstrates the role of institutional variations and governance as foundations for geographical differences in the adoption of renewable energy, and carries significant implications for policy thinking and implementation. It shows why and how policy-makers need to be more effective in balancing the range of goals/interests for renewable energy deployment with the peculiarities and specificities of the regional contexts and their infrastructures. The insights presented help to explain how energy choices and outcomes are shaped in particular places, how differences arise and operate in practice, and how they need to be taken into account in policy design, policy-making and implementation.

scholarly journals Policy insights for regional renewable energy deployment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla De Laurentis ◽  
Peter JG Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
Governance Capacity ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background The paper explores how regional actors engage with energy systems, flows and infrastructures in order to meet particular goals and offers a fine-tuned analysis of how differences arise, highlighting the policy-relevant insights that emerge. Methods Using a novel framework, the research performs a comparative case study analysis of three regions in Italy and two of the devolved territories of the UK, Wales and Scotland, drawing on interviews and documentary analysis.Results The paper shows that the socio-materialities of renewable energy enable a fine-tuned analysis of how institutions, governance and infrastructure can enable/constrain energy transitions and policy effectiveness at local and regional levels. The heuristic adopted highlights i) the institutions that matter for renewable energy and their varied effects on regional renewable energy deployment; ii) the range of agencies involved in strategically establishing, contesting and reproducing institutions, expectations, visions and infrastructure as renewable energy deployment unfolds at the regional level and iii) the nature and extent of infrastructure requirements for and constraints on renewable energy delivery and how they affect the regional capacity to shape infrastructure networks and facilitate renewable energy deployment. The paper shows how the regions investigated developed their institutional and governance capacity and made use of targets, energy visions and spatial planning to promote renewable energy deployment. The paper highlights that several mediating factors emerge from examining the interactions between regional physical resource endowments and energy infrastructure renewal. The analysis leads to several policy-relevant insights into what makes for renewable energy deployment. Conclusion The paper contributes to research that highlights the role of institutional variations and governance as foundations for geographical differences in the adoption of renewable energy and carries significant implications for policy thinking and implementation. It shows why and how policy-makers need to be more effective in balancing the range of goals/ interests for renewable energy deployment with the peculiarities and specificities of the regional contexts. The insights presented are useful to explain how energy choices and outcomes are shaped in particular places, how differences arise and operate in practice, and how they need to be taken into account in policy design and implementation.

A Bayesian decision analysis to set escapement goals for Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 962-979 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon T Schnute ◽  
Al Cass ◽  
Laura J Richards
Keyword(s):  
Decision Analysis ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Policy Options ◽  
Bayesian Decision

This paper illustrates a complete Bayesian decision analysis for evaluating multistock harvest goals in the fishery on Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). We identify four key steps necessary to assess a resource production system. Each step entails choices that can alter the perceived consequences of management decisions. A Markov chain Monte Carlo sample captures uncertainty in the population dynamics. The Bayesian formalism then translates this uncertainty into uncertain policy outcomes. We examine a relatively simple control law, designed to protect stocks at low abundance. We restrict our attention to retrospective policy analysis by investigating what might have happened to sockeye stocks if management had proceeded differently during years for which historical data are available. A formal objective function quantifies societal values associated with a range of policy options. To confine the paper to manageable scope, we consider only relatively simple assumptions. Our analytical framework offers an iterative route to policy design, where managers play an active role in formulating policy options and evaluating their consequences.

scholarly journals How Is Social Acceptance Reflected in National Renewable Energy Plans? Evidence from Three Wind-Rich Countries

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3999
Author(s):  
Celine Bout ◽  
Jay Sterling Gregg ◽  
James Haselip ◽  
Geraint Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Rich Countries

This article contributes to discussions of the social acceptance of renewable energy (RE) by developing an analytical framework that considers three dimensions (community, market, and political-regulator) at three different scales (macro, meso, and micro). This framework is conceived in order to identify those dynamics that are potentially counterproductive to the energy transition and need further policy emphasis, as well as supporting those that demonstrate a positive impact. Using this framework, we critically reflect on the 2010 National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) policies of three European countries with high wind resources: Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. Within the RE policy landscapes of these three countries lies the contentious issue of social acceptance of wind power. The framework analysis reveals similar policy profiles for each country, characterized by a heavy focus on the market dimension at all scales, an effort to allow private business to steer the transition, and a low focus on the community dimension. In doing so, our research reveals how policy-making processes have privileged the voice of actors who are able to communicate quantifiable data and evidence to support their position, and these actors thereby have greater influence to shape national energy policies.

Renewable Energy: Policy Dynamics at the Macro-, Meso-, and Micro-Levels

2018 ◽  
pp. 43-64
Author(s):  
Sebastian Sewerin ◽  
Tobias S. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Policy Instrument ◽  
General Direction ◽  
Instrument Type ◽  
Policy Dynamics ◽  
The Face ◽  
Analysis Of Dynamics ◽  
The Uk

Renewable energy is a distinct policy field encompassing both economic and environmental considerations. How these are balanced in the face of the 2007–8 economic crisis is an important question relating to the general stickiness of environmental policies. In this chapter, we investigate long-term policy dynamics across both EU and non-EU countries and across three levels of policy change. Using an Index of Policy Activity (IPA) dataset of 562 policies, we analyse the general direction of overall change in policy mixes (macro-level), the dynamics of policy instrument type use (meso-level), and change to policy design (micro-level). We find that, while the crisis marks a turning point in the speed of policy change, the direction of policy change alters only in Ireland and the UK—namely towards policy dismantling. However, we show that dismantling and expansion unfold differently at the policy meso- and micro-levels, adding further nuance to the empirical analysis of dynamics of policy change.

scholarly journals A Free-Market Environmentalist Transition toward Renewable Energy: The Cases of Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4659
Author(s):  
William Hongsong Wang ◽  
Vicente Moreno-Casas ◽  
Jesús Huerta de Soto
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Free Market ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Market Environmentalism ◽  
The Uk

Renewable energy (RE) is one of the most popular public policy orientations worldwide. Compared to some other countries and continents, Europe has gained an early awareness of energy and environmental problems in general. At the theoretical level, free-market environmentalism indicates that based on the principle of private property rights, with fewer state interventionist and regulation policies, entrepreneurs, as the driving force of the market economy, can provide better services to meet the necessity of offering RE to protect the environment more effectively. Previous studies have revealed that Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have made some progress in using the market to develop RE. However, this research did not analyze the three countries’ RE conditions from the perspective of free-market environmentalism. Based on our review of the principles of free-market environmentalism, this paper originally provides an empirical study of how Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have partly conducted free-market-oriented policies to successfully achieve their policy goal of RE since the 1990s on a practical level. In particular, compared with Germany and Denmark, the UK has maintained a relatively low energy tax rate and opted for more pro-market measures since the Hayekian-Thatcherism free-market reform of 1979. The paper also discovers that Fredrich A. Hayek’s theories have strongly impacted its energy liberalization reform agenda since then. Low taxes on the energy industry and electricity have alleviated the burden on the electricity enterprises and consumers in the UK. Moreover, the empirical results above show that the energy enterprises play essential roles in providing better and more affordable RE for household and industrial users in the three sampled countries. Based on the above results, the paper also warns that state intervention policies such as taxation, state subsidies, and industrial access restrictions can impede these three countries’ RE targets. Additionally, our research provides reform agendas and policy suggestions to policymakers on the importance of implementing free-market environmentalism to provide more efficient RE in the post-COVID-19 era.

scholarly journals Regulating health professional scopes of practice: comparing institutional arrangements and approaches in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Leslie ◽  
Jean Moore ◽  
Chris Robertson ◽  
Douglas Bilton ◽  
Kristine Hirschkorn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Professional ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Institutional Arrangements ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background Fundamentally, the goal of health professional regulatory regimes is to ensure the highest quality of care to the public. Part of that task is to control what health professionals do, or their scope of practice. Ideally, this involves the application of evidence-based professional standards of practice to the tasks for which health professional have received training. There are different jurisdictional approaches to achieving these goals. Methods Using a comparative case study approach and similar systems policy analysis design, we present and discuss four different regulatory approaches from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. For each case, we highlight the jurisdictional differences in how these countries regulate health professional scopes of practice in the interest of the public. Our comparative Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis is based on archival research carried out by the authors wherein we describe the evolution of the institutional arrangements for form of regulatory approach, with specific reference to scope of practice. Results/conclusions Our comparative examination finds that the different regulatory approaches in these countries have emerged in response to similar challenges. In some cases, ‘tasks’ or ‘activities’ are the basis of regulation, whereas in other contexts protected ‘titles’ are regulated, and in some cases both. From our results and the jurisdiction-specific SWOT analyses, we have conceptualized a synthesized table of leading practices related to regulating scopes of practice mapped to specific regulatory principles. We discuss the implications for how these different approaches achieve positive outcomes for the public, but also for health professionals and the system more broadly in terms of workforce optimization.

scholarly journals Optimising the Operation of Tidal Range Schemes

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 2870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Xue ◽  
Reza Ahmadian ◽  
Roger Falconer
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Energy Output ◽  
Tidal Range ◽  
Marine Renewable Energy ◽  
Modelling Methodology ◽  
Similar Operation ◽  
Swansea Bay ◽  
The Uk

Marine renewable energy, including tidal renewable energy, is one of the less exploited sources of energy that could contribute to energy demand, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Amongst several proposals to build tidal range structure (TRS), a tidal lagoon has been proposed for construction in Swansea Bay, in the South West of the UK, but this scheme was recently rejected by the UK government due to the high electricity costs. This decision makes the optimisation of such schemes more important for the future. This study proposes various novel approaches by breaking the operation into small components to optimise the operation of TRS using a widely used 0-D modelling methodology. The approach results in a minimum 10% increase in energy output, without the inclusion of pumping, in comparison to the maximum energy output using a similar operation for all tides. This increase in energy will be approximately 25% more when pumping is included. The optimised operation schemes are used to simulate the lagoon operation using a 2-D model and the differences between the results are highlighted.

The scope for renewable energy in the UK

1986 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-234
Author(s):  
P.N. Hobson
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
The Uk
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