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.

scholarly journals Legal Provisions and Market Conditions for Energy Communities in Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey: A Comparative Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11212
Author(s):  
Mehmet Efe Biresselioglu ◽  
Siyami Alp Limoncuoglu ◽  
Muhittin Hakan Demir ◽  
Johannes Reichl ◽  
Katrin Burgstaller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Energy System ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Legal Provisions ◽  
The Eu

The Climate Pact and the European Green Deal constitute the main components of the European Union (EU)’s climate change policy. Energy transition, that is, transformation to a zero-carbon global energy system, is one of the main pillars of climate change mitigation policies. This transformation, coupled with the empowerment of individuals within the energy system, shifts citizens from their roles as customers towards a more active role. Within this framework, energy communities stand out as significant facilitators for the participation of individuals and communities in the energy system, promoting self-consumption and contributing to the social acceptance of renewable energy initiatives, among other direct and indirect benefits. The main directives introducing energy communities into the EU legal system are RED II and ED 2019. This study, conducted as a part of a Horizon 2020-funded eCREW project, assessed the adaptability and implementability of these two directives within national legislation, along with the associated legal and administrative frameworks, utilizing evidence from Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. The comparative analysis also enhances the understanding of the concept of renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities, both in the EU and in nonmember countries. The results of the analysis revealed that none of the countries studied had yet completed the process of harmonizing their legislation concerning energy communities.

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.

Low-carbon Electricity Market Transition in the UK: A Multi-level Perspective Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Ting Lu ◽  
Tze-Luen Lin
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Electricity Market ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Market Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Energy Domain ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
The Uk

<p>As climate change issues arise and become a global concern, to reduce carbon emissions has become an urgent issue to respond to. Therefore, the application of renewable energy plays more and more important roles in the energy domain nowadays, which may also bring significant impacts to the low-carbon electricity market transition. With the advantages of developing renewable energy, the Taiwan government anticipates achieving the goal of reaching 20% renewable energy in electricity structure by 2025. Moreover, Taiwan has carried out the most vigorous amendment on the Electricity Act in history to open the electricity market so that more stakeholders can participate in it to propel energy transition. Since the UK is the lead in this field, it is worth investigating. This paper takes the UK as a case study to analyze its evolution in recent decades after the deregulation of its electricity market from the retail side perspective. It expects to explore how the transition drove actors to empower their roles, or even create new roles and responsibilities, and engage in the low-carbon electricity market transition pathway. This paper expects the UK case as a great reference for Taiwan, which echoes the current scenario in Taiwan with the potential to deliver further insights.</p>

Risky Business? The Energy Charter Treaty, Renewable Energy, and Investor-State Disputes

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyla Tienhaara ◽  
Christian Downie
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Dispute Settlement ◽  
Law And Economics ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Dispute Settlement Mechanism ◽  
Global Energy ◽  
Investment Treaty ◽  
Energy Charter Treaty

Abstract Global energy governance has received increased attention from scholars and policymakers in recent years. Much of the discussion has focused on the inadequacy of the current institutional architecture, particularly in light of the urgent need to decarbonize energy systems. However, little attention has been given to the capacity of global institutions to promote investment in renewable energy. This article considers claims by proponents of the Energy Charter Treaty, the most developed trade and investment treaty in the global energy architecture, that it can play an important role in this regard. Specifically, it examines the ECT’s investor-state dispute settlement mechanism. Drawing on scholarship in global governance, law, and economics and an analysis of recent investor-state disputes, the article argues that there are problems with the assumptions underlying the claims of the ECT’s proponents. Critically, there is still a lack of evidence that the ECT has a positive impact on flows of investment in any sector, including the renewable energy sector. There is also a risk that ISDS could be used by the fossil fuel industry to impede a clean energy transition. States should approach accession to the ECT with caution and consider other mechanisms to reduce risk for renewable energy investors.

How COVID-19 is Accelerating Energy Transition in Developing Oil-Rich Countries: Nigeria as a Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-240
Author(s):  
Chibueze Ekeh
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Oil Prices ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Fossil Fuel Consumption ◽  
Rich Countries ◽  
The Impact

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of challenges as well as opportunities. In oil-rich countries that are considered to developing countries, governments have typically subsidized consumption of electricity and petrol. With dwindling government revenues to low oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, renewable energy is gaining more attention as a considerable alternative. In this article, the author examines the impact of COVID-19 on reduction in fossil fuel consumption; the acceleration of access to electricity through use of solar home systems and mini-grids; the reduction of environmental pollution; and the ultimately the reduction of energy poverty. The analysis highlights the opportunities for renewable energy businesses to re-assess their business models to ensure that they survive the temporary economic challenges and are better positioned for a post COVID-19 world.

ANALYSIS OF WAYS FOR ACHIEVING 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD (REVIEW)

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 67-73
Author(s):  
T.A. Zheliezna
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
The United States ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Renewable Electricity ◽  
The World ◽  
The Cost

The aim of the work is to analyze targets on the transition to 100% renewable energy sources (RES) existing in different countries of the world as well as strategies for their achievement. The task of the work is to identify the most promising directions and develop appropriate recommendations for Ukraine. The global trend is setting targets for the transition to 100% RES, at least in some energy sectors, developing appropriate strategies and their implementation. Over the last decade, the cost of renewable energy has been steadily declining, making RES more competitive with fossil fuels in many parts of the world. Today, more than 50 countries, hundreds of cities and regions in one form or another have committed to switching to 100% RES. Most often it is about achieving 100% of renewable electricity. So far, at least 52 cities and regions have achieved their targets for the transition to 100% RES. Of these, 41 are located in Europe and 9 are located in the United States. About 2/3 of these targets relate only to renewable electricity. In Ukraine, the official targets for the development of RES are set out in the National Renewable Energy Action Plan until 2020 and in the Energy Strategy of Ukraine until 2035. Recently, a draft Concept of the “green” energy transition of Ukraine until 2050 was developed, which sets the goal of achieving a climate-neutral economy by 2070. One of the main directions of decarbonization of the economy is the development of RES in combination with increasing energy efficiency and energy saving. It is necessary to resume completing the document with the inclusion of reasonable long-term goals to achieve 100% RES in certain energy sectors and in the whole energy balance of Ukraine.

Community Energy and a Just Energy Transition

2020 ◽  
pp. 67-82
Author(s):  
Annalisa Savaresi
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Restorative Justice ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Energy Governance ◽  
Energy Justice ◽  
Justice Theories ◽  
The Uk

In recent years, measures to stimulate local and rural communities’ involvement in the generation of renewable energy have been rather optimistically promoted as a means to engender greater legitimacy in and democratization of energy governance, tackle fuel poverty, and deliver energy justice. This chapter assesses what we really know about community energy and its suitability to deliver an equitable energy transition. It scrutinizes evidence from selected EU Member States that have pioneered the mainstreaming of community energy through the lens of justice theories, with the objective to gauge whether and how these policies address core justice questions associated with the energy transition, and the role of law in providing an answer to these. This chapter aims to probe the sometimes uncritical assumptions about community energy, highlighting the complex, layered, conflicting justice claims that underlie its mainstreaming. In order to do this, the chapter distils a set of distributive, procedural, and restorative justice questions associated with community energy, and considers the way in which they have been addressed, drawing on examples from Denmark, Germany, and the UK.

Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy – A Concept Centric Review of Literature.

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Electricity Markets ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Use Values

Increasing renewable energy footprints now features prominently in the clean energy transition plan for many countries. Consumer’s Willingness To Pay (WTP) for renewable energy is an important variable in this plan. A concept-centric review of 70 research articles conducted in this study reveals that first and most commonly, consumer’s willingness to pay for renewable energy indicates the social acceptance of renewable energy, quantifying the extent of public financial support for meeting nationally set renewable energy targets. Second, it reflects the preferred attributes of renewable electricity supply in deregulated retail electricity markets. And third, it mirrors the non use values of renewable energy sources. A concept augmented matrix presented in the paper helps understand the most popular valuation techniques used to quantify WTP estimates in included studies. This paper concludes by presenting policy enablers to accelerate renewable energy transition in developing economies - where the transition is still in nascent stages.

scholarly journals The Role of Advocacy Coalitions in Shaping the Technological Innovation Systems: The Case of the Russian Renewable Energy Policy

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 6941
Author(s):  
Tatiana Nevzorova ◽  
Vladimir Kutcherov
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Innovation Systems ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Renewable Energy Policy ◽  
Advocacy Coalition ◽  
Rich Countries

Many hydrocarbon-rich countries have recognized the global shift towards renewable energy sources, and Russia is not an exception. Drawing on two strands of literature—technological innovation systems and the advocacy coalition framework—we investigate the roles of actors and coalitions in shaping the Russian renewable energy policy and explore why particular renewable energy sources have progressed more than others, and what the main reasons are for their sudden development. The results show that the more successful renewable energy industries are those that were promoted by influential actors from traditional energy industries. Moreover, these actors also promoted the specific design of support schemes for renewable energy policy in Russia. We discuss the importance of policy process theories for understanding energy transition studies and provide specific policy recommendations for policy creation in the renewables industry.

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