Good morning everyone, In my opinion, one of the best parts of an editor’s job is when a timely, well executed special issue is published. I am excited to say Vol 43 of Energy Research & Social Science is just that, a hard look at “Sustainable energy transformations in an age of populism, post-truth politics, and local resistance,” guested edited by Cornelia Fraune and Michèle Knodt.
See below for a link to the SI and its table of contents. As always, able to share copies of individual articles, or the whole volume, by request via email. Sincerely, Benjamin K. Sovacool Editor-in-Chief, Energy Research & Social Science https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/energy-research-and-social-science/vol/43/suppl/C Sustainable energy transformations in an age of populism, post-truth politics, and local resistance Edited by Cornelia Fraune and Michèle Knodt Volume 43, Pages 1-158 (September 2018) Introduction Cornelia Fraune, Michèle Knodt, Sustainable energy transformations in an age of populism, post-truth politics, and local resistance, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 1-7, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.029. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618305322) Abstract: The increase of right-wing populist parties, post-truth politics, and local resistance challenges the policies and politics of sustainable energy transformation. The contributions of this Special Issue address at least one of these political phenomena in the context of sustainable energy transformation. They show that populism, especially right-wing populism, and post-truth politics indicate rising political polarisation on climate and energy policies while local resistance indicates the political nature of sustainable energy transformations. More research is needed to explore the causes, nature, and consequences of the increase in extreme positions on climate and energy policies across political parties and individuals Social tensions within sustainable energy transformations Michael Jefferson, Exaggeration and/or denial: Twin towers of industrial and commercial interests supposedly intended to accelerate energy transition in the United Kingdom, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 8-15, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.008. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618304833) Abstract: Over the past twenty years debates on the supply of, and demand for, useful energy have often been characterised by exaggeration on the one part and denial on the other. Exaggeration has primarily come from vested interests in promoting certain forms of renewable energy. These interests have been pitted against fossil fuel ones in claiming the need for transition to a low carbon world. Such views have often taken insufficient account of locational, technical, and other performance limitations. Their views have increasingly rested upon the politicisation of the climatic change debate, despite this topic’s basic uncertainties. Local interests and concerns, and the claims of ‘populism’, have also intruded. Denial has come from those who are inclined to dismiss the notion that human activities can change global near surface temperatures, whereas given the uncertainties a precautionary approach is required. Sustainable energy transformation is occurring, but we also see sub-optimal decision-making and exaggerated claims, as is to be expected in an age of “post-truth politics”. “Post-truth politics” need to be abandoned in the genuine pursuit of truth and realism. Failing this, social networking will hinder effective policymaking and its implementation. Keywords: Truth; Subsidies/vested interests; Dubious claims; Uncertainties; Precautionary Julie MacArthur, Steve Matthewman, Populist resistance and alternative transitions: Indigenous ownership of energy infrastructure in Aotearoa New Zealand, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 16-24, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.009. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618304845) Abstract: The energy transitions necessary to address climate change mitigation and adaptation manifest unevenly, varying in nature, context, distribution of benefits and radical depth. While populist developments and economic protectionism are often viewed pejoratively, we argue that a critical reading reveals clear connections to progressive social struggles. Frustration with elite capture of political processes and economic assets manifests in a populist desire to redistribute political power via nationalist or localist economic policies. Debates over the benefits of ownership by 'the people' and representation of marginalized actors are particularly acute in settler states. We examine Indigenous led energy transitions in Aotearoa New Zealand, via a critical reading of scholarship on populist resistance and protectionist responses to energy market liberalization, together with a distinctive Māori sustainability ethic as articulated by Māori scholars. Despite significant and ongoing challenges, we find that Māori principles and energy initiatives,particularly in geothermal heat, power and energy efficiency, hold unique and radical potential to lead the coming energy transition. Keywords: New Zealand; Energy transitions; Māori sustainability; Populism; Protectionism Laura Stegemann, Marinus Ossewaarde, A sustainable myth: A neo-Gramscian perspective on the populist and post-truth tendencies of the European green growth discourse, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 25-32, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.015. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618304882) Abstract: In the search for environmentally sustainable economic paradigms, the green growth approach has been developed by the EU and economic networks, as part of a wider sustainability discourse. While the EU repeatedly promotes sustainable development in the context of its greened hegemonic economic discourse, its member states’ frustrations regarding the EU’s integrative policies have been a breeding ground for counter-hegemonic populism. Such anti-EU and typically right-wing populism promotes national and conventional modes of energy production that is emancipated from foreign providers, science, and EU legislation; and it reveals post-truth tendencies in the sense that it relativizes conventional knowledge as well causation and correlation. In this paper, we seek to uncover the populist and post-truth tendencies within the hegemonic green growth discourse itself. In our paper, we seek to unmask the myth of sustainable energy transformation of the green growth discourse, in terms of a hegemon’s engagement – EU and associated economic networks – with post-truth: we find that post-truth tendencies are not only manifested by counter-hegemonic anti-EU and right-wing populism but is also expressed within the environmental populist expressions of the hegemonic green growth discourse itself. Keywords: Green growth discourse; Hegemony; Populism; Post-truth Merethe Dotterud Leiren, Inken Reimer, Historical institutionalist perspective on the shift from feed-in tariffs towards auctioning in German renewable energy policy, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 33-40, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.022. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618305152) Abstract: An early implementer of feed-in tariffs, Germany soon became feed-in champion, continuously resisting pressures – from the European Commission in particular – to adopt a competition-oriented approach. The European Commission never approved of the German feed-in tariff, seeing it as illegal state aid. However, after the good results in deployment of renewables, other countries followed suit and feed-in tariffs became the most popular support scheme for renewables in Europe. Despite this success, the nature of the Energiewende changed. Germany broke with its feed-in tradition two and a half decades later, introducing pilot auctions for solar energy in 2014. In 2016, it moved from a scheme under which every provider of renewable energy was entitled to support to a competition-oriented approach based on auctioning. Drawing on perspectives of historical institutionalism and adopting qualitative methods, we argue that the success of the feed-in tariff in terms of deployment of renewables altered coalitions of interests in Germany. The German government introduced auctioning with a view to controlling cost developments and protecting the conventional energy industries from insolvency. This happened under considerable EU pressures, given the European Commission’s state aid guidelines, which prescribe a competition-oriented approach. Keywords: Europeanisation; Germany; Historical institutionalism; Renewable energy Populism and public opinion on energy transformation Susana Batel, Patrick Devine-Wright, Populism, identities and responses to energy infrastructures at different scales in the United Kingdom: A post-Brexit reflection, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 41-47,ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.011. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618304869) Abstract: Recent socio-political events - such as Brexit - have provoked discussion and uncertainties about the future of the European Union, including European sustainable energy transitions. Nevertheless, not much research in the energy and social science domain has discussed and empirically explored how these socio-political events and related processes - rise in right-wing populism, post-truth politics - are shaped by and impact public beliefs about energy issues and the role of changes in people's different-level identities (local, national, European). In this paper, we discuss the importance of further exploring these ideas in energy social science research. We examine results of the Eurobarometer survey in the time span 2007–2016, and of two different representative surveys of United Kingdom adults, conducted in 2007 and 2012. This data allowed us to explore similarities and differences during this period regarding attitudes and beliefs about high voltage power lines and other energy and climate change related issues at different levels, and associated identities. Results suggest that feelings of belonging to different imaginary communities play out socio-political and psychological intergroup relations. We conclude that the ways that these impact on people's responses regarding energy issues at local, national and European levels represent promising directions for future research. Keywords: Social/place identities; Multi-scalar approach; Beliefs about renewable energy generation and associated infrastructures; Brexit Lorenz Kammermann, Clau Dermont, How beliefs of the political elite and citizens on climate change influence support for Swiss energy transition policy, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 48-60, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.010. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618304857) Abstract: This paper analyzes factors that lead to opposition towards policies in Switzerland that promote a clean energy transition. During legislative processes, both the elite and general citizens can develop resistance towards such policies. The article considers those two perspectives and determines, on both levels, factors that explain opposition. We also specifically take into account whether climate change skepticism, i.e., questioning that climate change is real and human-induced, is a key factor that leads to opposition. Furthermore, we employ structural equation models to account for interactions between the elite and general citizens. The results show that political actors who reject the idea of man-made climate change also oppose the promotion of a clean energy transition, and more generally that elite actors influence how citizens think about the issue. At the citizen level, an increase in climate change skepticism has a negative impact on levels of support for clean energy policy. The link is mainly determined by party affiliation. We conclude that potential strategies for achieving a clean energy transition should focus on motivating citizens because they generally seem to be less polarized and partisan, and thus less opposed to new solutions, than the elite, who tend to be more constrained in their actions. Keywords: Public policy; Clean energy; Opposition towards energy transitions; Climate change skepticism; Political elite Philipp A. Trotter, Roy Maconachie, Populism, post-truth politics and the failure to deceive the public in Uganda’s energy debate, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 61-76, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.020. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618305139) Abstract: Using populist tactics to frame energy transitions is neither new nor a predominantly Western phenomenon. In sub-Saharan Africa, populist leaders have long dispensed energy endowments for political gains. This paper studies populism and energy in Uganda, a highly energy-deprived country. Fact-checking recent governmental speeches and policies reveals a hefty presence of post-truth politics in Uganda’s energy sector. President Yoweri Museveni’s attempt to highlight developmental achievements have informed overly optimistic depictions of electricity planning, generation, transmission, distribution and pricing. We argue that the success of post-truth politics as a populist instrument may depend on the public’s ability to easily falsify the respective claims. While populist narratives have generally helped to legitimise Museveni’s leadership, our novel household survey data suggest that they have failed to mask the observable reality of poor governmental electrification performance. Respondents held sceptical opinions of electrification achievements, infrastructure status and the attribution of high electricity tariffs. Over 80% did not believe in the truthfulness of Uganda’s energy debate, a result robust to different age, gender, residential, educational and income levels. This well-informed Ugandan public, paired with a growing international presence and global development goals pose unprecedented pressures on Uganda’s government to eventually deliver factual, large-scale electrification. Keywords: Post-truth politics; Energy transition; Sub-Saharan Africa; Energy poverty Shouro Dasgupta, Enrica De Cian, The influence of institutions, governance, and public opinion on the environment: Synthesized findings from applied econometrics studies, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 77-95, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.023. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618305164) Abstract: We synthesize the empirical contributions from the existing applied economics literature examining the influence of institutions and governance on environmental policy, environmental performance, and green investment. The literature on the influence of populism and public opinion on environmental policy adoption is also reviewed in line with the special issue. First, the paper describes how the relationship between institutions, environmental performance and environmental policy have been conceptualized and operationalized in the literature and summarizes the main findings. The second part of the paper outlines avenues for future research with specific attention to the energy transition and climate change literature. With respect to the positivist worldview adopted by this paper, we highlight various opportunities for empirical work that have recently emerged with the growing availability of data in the field of green investments, climate, and energy policy. Expanding the current empirical literature towards these research topics is of both scientific and policy relevance and can provide important insights on the broader field of sustainability transition and sustainable development. Regarding the alternative, non-positivist worldviews, future research could explore ways to connect the richer approaches such as complex adaptive systems and socio-technical transition studies with applied econometric methods, as well as future-oriented studies. Keywords: Institutions; Governance; Public opinion; Environmental performance; Environmental policy The political nature of energy supply at the local level Sebastian Gölz, Oliver Wedderhoff, Explaining regional acceptance of the German energy transition by including trust in stakeholders and perception of fairness as socio-institutional factors, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 96-108, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.026. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618305218) Abstract: In this paper we pursue the hypothesis that acceptance of the energy transition is not merely determined by technology acceptance but also by the perception of socio-institutional stakeholders and the perception of fairness. We test an acceptance model which includes the following main predictors: attitudes towards the risks of the energy transition and attitudes towards the technology options such as wind power, photovoltaic systems or transmission lines. Additional influences are assumed to arise from the perception of regional added values and the trust in various socio-institutional stakeholders. Furthermore, we expect fairness to be a mediating variable for acceptance. In this paper we test the model empirically with a representative German sample (N = 2009) in a structural equation model (SEM) for the acceptance of onshore wind power. Moreover, we analyse whether differences in the factors are related to the German regions North, East, West and South since we assume regional landscapes, renewable energy sources and socio-political contexts to be important for acceptance. Results show evidence that perception of stakeholders and fairness is important for the regional acceptance. In addition, results show that, among the four regions, different factors are relevant for acceptance. Results are discussed and conclusions for governance are drawn. Keywords: Acceptance; fairness; wind power; regional energy transition Y.B. Blumer, L. Braunreiter, A. Kachi, R. Lordan-Perret, F. Oeri,A two-level analysis of public support: Exploring the role of beliefs in opinions about the Swiss energy strategy, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 109-118, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.024. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618305188) Abstract: Energy system transitions in democracies require that national interests and central planning are reconciled with the public’s preferences. This pilot study investigates public support for the Swiss national energy strategy and two specific technologies that are part of it: expansion of hydropower and deep geothermal energy. It addresses two research questions. First, how does public support for a national energy transition differ from public support for specific technologies endorsed in an energy transition strategy? Second, are there differences in the factors influencing public support for these technologies? We investigate these questions empirically with a survey (N = 640), focusing on understanding the role lay-people’s expectations about the future energy system, political ideology, and future orientation play in generating support for these two levels of public support and for two technologies with different characteristics. We find that while support for an energy transition is well explained by above factors, this is true to a much lesser extent for technology support. One conclusion is that support for an energy transition and for energy technologies is politicized to varying degrees, which is why their acceptability may be less shaped by their objective characteristics, but rather by subjective perceptions and beliefs the public holds towards them. Keywords: Public acceptance; Energy transitions; Hydropower; Deep geothermal energy; Expectations; Beliefs Leanne S. Giordono, Hilary S. Boudet, Anna Karmazina, Casey L. Taylor, Brent S. Steel, Opposition “overblown”? Community response to wind energy siting in the Western United States, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 119-131, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.016. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618304870) Abstract: Much of the literature on local opposition to wind development is based on small-N case studies of controversial cases. This focus has led to an emphasis on the so-called “social gap” between positive general attitudes toward renewable energy development and local resistance to actual proposals. Instead, we conduct a fuzzy set/Qualitative Comparative Analysis of 53 proposals for wind energy development in the Western United States to better understand both the amount of local opposition and the factors and processes that shape it. We find that while some level of local opposition to wind proposals is not rare, it is typically restricted to more benign activities that require few resources and take place in standard institutional settings. Drawing on insights from the literatures on social acceptance of wind and social movement studies, we show that proximity to protected areas, political opportunity, and opponents’ framing of the risks posed by wind development are important factors in driving community resistance. These findings suggest that resistance to wind energy proposals is more likely to be shaped by existing processes for public participation than to shape them, and that calls to streamline regulatory processes to expedite development due to local resistance may be premature. Keywords: Renewable energy; Siting; Social movements; fuzzy set/qualitative comparative analysis Keywords: Right-wing populism; Post-truth politics; Local resistance; Political polarisation; Sustainable energy transformation André Calero Valdez, Johanna Kluge, Martina Ziefle, Elitism, trust, opinion leadership and politics in social protests in Germany, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 132-143, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.025. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618305206) Abstract: Energy infrastructure projects often bring along protests. Protests as a form of political participation reveal perceptions of locals regarding a specific project. However, it is still unclear who protesters are and what drives them. Specifically, the attitude towards protest has not been extensively studied. We conducted an online survey study with 464 participants and used partially-least squares structural equation modeling to identify antecedents to protest attitudes. We included opinion leadership, trust in institutions, political efficacy and demographic factors in our model to determine possible causal relationships between these factors. We found that protest attitude is predominantly influenced by income, protest experience and political efficacy. No direct association was found for trust in institutions and opinion leadership. Keywords: Energy infrastructure; Protest attitude; Opinion leadership; Political efficacy; Fake news; Post-truth politics; Filter-bubbles Michelle Graff, Sanya Carley, David M. Konisky, Stakeholder perceptions of the United States energy transition: Local-level dynamics and community responses to national politics and policy, Energy Research & Social Science, Volume 43, 2018, Pages 144-157, ISSN 2214-6296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.05.017. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618304894) Abstract: The literature on energy transitions tends to focus on forces operating within entire sectors or across multiple sectors, and usually at the national or international-level. This focus can disguise the fact that transitions often have uneven geographic effects, and specifically adverse consequences for some frontline communities. In this article, we examine how U.S. communities have fared during the current transition toward lower carbon sources of energy. We analyze data compiled from interviews and surveys with stakeholders working in three locations: Detroit, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; and Appalachian coal country. We find that a majority of stakeholders perceive evidence of the energy transition in their communities and are concerned about their community’s ability to adapt. Our results, however, suggest heterogeneity among perceptions across the study sites. Stakeholders in Appalachia are most concerned about local job loss and employment availability, with more severe implications for younger and older generations, while those in Detroit and St. Louis express more concerns about the rising cost of energy and the implications for low-income residents. We also find that these stakeholder perceptions do not substantially change after recent political shifts at the federal level but sub-national activism and collaboration has increased. Keywords: Energy transition; Politics; Perceptions; Energy policy ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the EASSN list, click the following link: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=EASSN&A=1 -- 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 gep-ed+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
