Ending Fossil Fuel Investments for the Renewable Energy Transition Legislative Policy Research Summit on Climate Change November 18, 2014 Jennie C. Stephens, Ph.D. Associate Professor Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
Climate Change & Energy: intricately linked Energy system change necessary for mitigation & enhancing resilience Increasing CO 2 concentrations Moving away from fossil fuels not just for climate Energy independence Local economic health Community empowerment Public health Environmental and social impacts of Source: http://aim.hamptonu.edu/library/gallery/gal-sci.html fossil fuel extraction 500 450 400 Gas 350 Oil Increasing EJ/year 300 Coal 250 Nuclear 200 global energy Hydro + 150 100 Biomass 50 demand 0 1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 Holdren, 2006 Year
Integrating Science/Engineering with Social Science Born and lived first in Dublin, Ireland Blittersdorf Professor of Clark Faculty in Environmental Dual US ‐ EU citizenship Sustainability Science & Policy Science & Policy 2005 – 2014 Social dimensions of energy & climate BA Harvard in Environmental Science and Public Policy (1997) MS and PhD Caltech in Environmental Science and Water Engineering (1998 and 2002) Post ‐ Doctoral Research at Harvard Water Kennedy School 2002 ‐ 2005. Soil Policy Carbon Energy: Carbon Capture & Storage
An Energy S ystem Transition is Underway involves technological and social change involves both investment and divestment IEEE Spectrum, 2014 Renewable based Fossil fuel based energy systems energy systems Change is difficult – lock-in - multiple tensions Moving away from fossil fuels not just for carbon & climate Energy independence Local economic health Community empowerment Public health Environmental impacts of fossil fuel extraction
Growing Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement
My Research: Social & Political Dimensions of Energy System Change • Highlights factors beyond technical details & cost estimates ▫ Cultural influence – how individuals & communities relate to technological changes and connect with social change? ▫ Political influence – who supports which technologies and why? How can we integrate social and technical changes? Power and influence of fossil fuel interests • Research on social and political dimensions of… . Wind power Smart grid Carbon capture & storage (CCS)
Acknowledging & Broadening Energy Discourse SPEED (S ocio- P olitical E valuation of E nergy D eployment) A framework to assess perspectives influencing energy system change Cultural Political Energy Environm ental Regulatory and Technology Deploym ent Legal Technical Econom ic Stephens, JC, EJ Wilson, TR Peterson. 2008. “Socio-Political Evaluation of Energy Deployment (SPEED): An Integrated Research Framework Analyzing Energy Technology Deployment” Technologica l Foreca sting a nd Socia l Cha nge . 75: 1224–1246 Stephens, JC, EJ Wilson, TR Peterson, Smart Grid: Promoting System Innovation in Complex Multi-jurisdictional Socio-Political Contexts, UCLA La w Rev iew , Volume 61, Issue 6, July 2014
Highlights of smart grid research • Diversity of visions for change in electricity systems ▫ Social and cultural change as well as technical change • Bifurcating perspectives on social change ▫ Some view technological change as sustaining current energy expectations, limiting need for social change ▫ Some envision radical social change in energy consumption • Tensions in Centralization vs. Decentralization • Decentralization offers more flexibility, modularity, and adaptive capacity –also locally appropriate • Multiple opportunities for broader civic engagement in energy system change ▫ Including energy education outside of engineering ▫ Energy studies could be more socially oriented, interdisciplinary and heterogeneous. Forthcoming Book Cambridge University Press, 2015 Foreward by Michael Dworkin
Highlights of wind research - Comparison of socio-political context Massachusetts Minnesota Montana Texas High degree of Largely positive Low public interest Largely framed as an controversy & more and engagement on economic issue public awareness despite Risk focused on wind –minimal less wind power. technical discourse Minimal environmental and economic, not framing Framing within cultural, aesthetic or Sparsely populated, health & safety, & environmental electricity exporter Little risk discourse environmental frames Positive discourse Lower familiarity Reflects states strong Densely populated state. as a rural economic with wind than TX energy-industry history High competition for development tool. or MN land. Vast space - cheaper Community Minimal land. Not used to seeing ownership connection to energy infrastructure of wind turbines climate change High familiarity & strong comfort with energy infrastructure Fischlein, M, J Larson, D Hall, R Chaudhry , JC Stephens , TR Peterson, EJ Wilson. 2010. Policy stakeholders and deployment of wind power in the sub-national context: a comparison of four U.S. states. Energy Policy 38: 4429–4439 Fischlein, M, AM Feldpausch-Parker, TR Peterson, JC Stephens , EJ Wilson. Which way does the wind blow? Analyzing the sub ‐ national context for renewable energy deployment in the United States. Environm ental Policy and Governance Accepted. In Press .
An Energy S ystem Transition is Underway involves technological and social change involves both investment and divestment IEEE Spectrum, 2014 Renewable based Fossil fuel based energy systems energy systems Multiple tensions relating to… … .. Time-frame of change – urgency? Radical vs. incremental change? Who benefits from change? Powerful entrenched interests resist change Role of government to facilitate or accelerate change?
Tensions related to “ bridging” technologies and fuels IEEE Spectrum, 2014 Renewable based Fossil fuel based energy systems energy systems How to prioritize investments during the transition? ▫ How much to invest in “bridge” technologies/fuels? ▫ Too much investment in bridge can strengthen lock-in & slow down transition ▫ Leaders in the transition recognize divesting in fossil fuels intricately linked to investing in renewables
S hould governments invest in Carbon Capture & S torage (CCS )? Controversial set of technologies viewed by some as…… - absolutely essential to climate stabilization - an end-of-pipe, fossil-fuel-industry-supporting technology that detracts from renewables and slows transition Transport CO 2 storage CO 2 capture (Separation and (including monitoring compression) and verification) • The US among the countries investing most heavily in CCS ▫ High reliance on coal & oil industry influence • CCS has changed US climate and coal politics ▫ Offers solution to coal-climate dilemma • The CCS community, risks and public opposition ▫ An epistemic community advocating & ignoring risks? IEA, 2006 • Technological as well as political lock-in Stephens, J.C., A. Hansson, Y. Liu, H. de Coninck, S. Vajjhala. 2011. Characterizing the International Carbon Capture and Storage Community . Globa l Env ironm enta l Cha nge . 21: 379-390
• Encourages complacency by creating false sense of optimism • Assumes inevitability of sustained coal use – perpetuates fossil ‐ fuels • Unjustified claims of “solving” climate change • Political lock ‐ in to continued investment • Distant uncertain future societal benefit Stephens, J. C. (2014). "Time to stop investing in carbon capture and storage and reduce government subsidies of fossil-fuels." Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change 5 : 169-173.
Studying Leaders in Energy System Transitions: Collaborating with the Helmholtz Alliance ENERGY ‐ TRANS Vermont: Comprehensive Energy Plan German Energiewende (energy revolution) • State ‐ level commitment • National ‐ level commitment Concluding Points Transitions are complicated and messy – not linear. Tensions inevitable. Divestment in fossil fuel requires supporting those whose livelihoods are challenged Climate science increases urgency for energy system change, but as entrenched actors feel more threatened they increase resistance Transition requires cultural shifts & mechanisms to reduce the power and influence of corporations in governance
Movement to broaden energy beyond engineering & economics Sovacool, B. K. (2014). Energy studies need social science Nature 511 : 529-530 • Under-evaluation of social dimensions • Under-representation of women & minorities • Minimal integration and collaboration of social science & humanities Fri, R. W. and M. L. Savitz (2014). Rethinking energy innovation & social science Energy Research & Social Science 1 (0): 183-187. • Opportunities for policy-makers to engage with social scientists in new ways to facilitate the energy system transition
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