Energy Transitions

Description

This book elucidates what it means to transition to alternative sources of energy and discusses the potential for this energy transition to be a more democratic process. The book dynamically describes a recent sociotechnical study of a number of energy transitions occurring in several countries - France, Germany and Tunisia, and involving different energy technologies - including solar, on/off-shore wind, smart grids, biomass, low-energy buildings, and carbon capture and storage. Drawing on a pragmatist tradition of social inquiry, the authors examine the consequences of energy transition processes for the actors and entities that are affected by them, as well as the spaces for political participation they offer. This critical inquiry is organised according to foundational categories that have defined the energy transition - ‘renewable’ energy resources, markets, economic instruments, technological demonstration, spatiality (‘scale’) and temporality (‘horizon(s)’). Using a set of select case studies, this book systematically investigates the role these categories play in the current developments in energy transitions. Front Matter ....Pages i-xix How to Inquire About Energy Transition Processes? (Olivier Labussière, Alain Nadaï)....Pages 1-48 New Energy Resources in the Making (Alain Nadaï, Olivier Labussière)....Pages 49-100 Transitioning Through Markets (Catherine Grandclément, Alain Nadaï)....Pages 101-142 The Politics of Some Policy Instruments (Béatrice Cointe, Alain Nadaï)....Pages 143-190 Technological Demonstration at the Core of the Energy Transition (Alain Nadaï, Olivier Labussière)....Pages 191-237 The Spatialities of Energy Transition Processes (Olivier Labussière, Vincent Banos, Antoine Fontaine, Eric Verdeil, Alain Nadaï)....Pages 239-275 The Temporalities of Energy Transition Processes (Olivier Labussière, Alain Nadaï)....Pages 277-317 Energy Transitions and Potentials for Democratic Change (Olivier Labussière, Alain Nadaï)....Pages 319-334 Back Matter ....Pages 335-348