Overcoming energy injustice? Bulgaria’s renewable energy transition in times of crisis

Green financing role on renewable energy dependence and energy transition in E7 economies

Act locally, transition globally: Grassroots resilience, local politics, and five municipalities in the United States with 100% renewable electricity

Ready or not, here it comes: Assessing the gaps in community plans for renewable energy transitions within the United States

ABSTRACTThrough a joint community effort Denmark’s Renewable Energy Island Samsø became self-sufficient with renewable energy over a period of 10 years from 1997 to 2007. Today, the story about Samsø’s successful energy transition has become a global export and a widely known model of community building, public participation and shared ownership in renewable energy technologies and transition processes. What has allowed the Samsø narrative to travel so widely has been the effective ‘transition story’ created about the islanders’ efforts. This transition story, however, has become fixed with the years and has assumed an ideal-typical character. Meanwhile, the challenges and costs inherent in the complicated socio-material process of transition are underestimated and largely forgotten. While such transition stories are indeed inspiring, the ideal-typical narrative may stand in the way of the development of further local energy transitions, as challenging elements of the process are downplayed to strengthen the narrative power of the story. Ethnographic stories about Samsø complicate the island’s transition narrative and add nuance to the Samsø story, highlighting its discrepancies and problematizing the effects of such well-crafted transition narratives. This tendency toward the ‘storification’ of transition processes is not restricted to Samsø; it is employed as a tactics by environmental organizations operating globally.

Local contestation to the deployment of large-scale renewable energy infrastructures has been increasing. Right-wing populism has also been on the rise across the world. This article aims to explore the potential relations between these two socio-political issues, by analyzing Portuguese media discourses on the renewable energy transition and if and how those expose associations with right-wing populist rhetoric. 465 articles published by Portuguese newspapers were analyzed through Thematic Analysis, which revealed three main themes: Portugal at the forefront of the green transition; the dark side of the transition; and, less pervasively, energy justice as crucial for a green transition. These themes and how they are discursively organized resonate with far-right wing populist rhetoric, such as nationalist, anti-elitist and anti-establishment views. This might find echo in rural communities affected by the green energy transition feelings of marginalization. Key policy highlights Portuguese media communication on the green transition and its injustices, uses similar devices and tropes to right-wing populist rhetoric, which might incentivize support to right-wing populist parties; The media have a key role in communicating about the green energy transition and related justice issues in a politicized and multivocal way; Policy-makers need to promote a more just transition and contest the commodification of renewable energy and the discourse of renewable energy infrastructures as inherently sustainable.

Çalışmada, yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının günümüzdeki ve gelecekteki durumu ulusal ve uluslararası yenilenebilir enerji kurumlarının geniş veri tabanları ışığında derlenerek, %100 yenilenebilir enerjiye geçişte dünyanın ve ülkemizin son durumu irdelenmiş, %100 yenilenebilir enerjiye geçiş hedefine ne ölçüde yaklaşıldığı belirlenerek tüm bu bilgilerden hareketle geleceği hakkında öngörülerde bulunulmuştur. Enerji ve çevre problemlerinin gündemde olduğu günümüzde, yaşanan problemlere yönelik öncelikli çözüm ülkelerin yenilenebilir enerjiye geçişi ile mümkündür. %100 Yenilenebilir Enerjiye Geçiş olarak adlandırılan bu hedef hem ihtiyaç duyulan enerjinin sağlanması hem de temiz enerji üretilmesi gibi avantajları beraberinde getirmektedir. Günümüzde, yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları küresel enerji kapasitesinin üçte birinden fazlasını oluşturmaktadır ve Dünya %100 yenilenebilir enerjiye geçiş yolunda hızla ilerlemektedir. 2018 yılında 2017’ye kıyasla, toplam 181 gigawatt (GW) yenilenebilir enerji artışı olmuş ve yenilenebilir enerji paylarını büyüten ülke sayısı artmıştır. Türkiye’nin enerji üretiminde yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının geçmişten günümüze durumu incelendiğinde 2008 yılında %20 olan pay 2018’de %32seviyelerine yükselmiştir. Fosil yakıt kaynaklı elektrik enerjisi üretimi ise 2008’de %82’lık bir paya sahipken 2018’de %68 seviyelerine gerilemiştir. Fosil yakıt kullanımında dışarı bağımlılık ve çevresel problemler de düşünülecek olursa bu gelişme gelecek için umut verici seviyelerdedir.

Global use of fossil fuels increases the growth of carbon dioxide (CO <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> ) emissions and results in significant climate change. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the mix of renewable energy continues to grow. In this case, the quality of electric service becomes more susceptible to climate change. This research studies California’s case on the relationship between climate change and renewable energy generation, providing a methodology to estimate optimal renewable energy capacity in transitioning from fuel-based energy to renewable energy. Proper planning of renewable energy capacity will help avoid electric supply shortages caused by climate change and reduce the reserved residual energy’s maintenance cost. This will lead to finding the optimal operating capacity of renewable energy and expedite the capacity transition to renewable energy from fuel-based energy. This research is based on California’s climate and energy generation data, but the same methodology can be applied and tested to any region in planning renewable energy capacity and transition.

Despite intensified global efforts to accelerate the renewable energy (RE) transition, the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and energy security risk (ESR) on RE adoption remains underexplored in the United States. This study examines the nonlinear and time-varying effects of AI, ESR, financial development (FD), and economic growth (GDP) on RE consumption from 1990Q1 to 2020Q4. Annual data were converted to quarterly frequency using the quadratic match sum method, and the Wavelet Cross Quantile Regression (WCQR) technique was employed to capture dynamic relationships across quantiles and time scales. The results show that AI and FD consistently stimulate RE adoption, while ESR shifts from a negative short-term influence to a positive long-term effect. Similarly, GDP initially reduces RE consumption but becomes supportive over longer horizons. This study offers new contributions by providing the first empirical evidence on the role of AI in shaping the U.S. renewable energy transition and by jointly examining technological, financial development, and energy security determinants within a unified framework. Policy implications suggest prioritizing investment in AI-based grid and storage systems, expanding green financing tools to lower capital barriers, and adopting long-term energy security strategies to sustain progress toward a low-carbon energy system.

The Philippines is actively pursuing a renewable energy (RE) transition to meet its NDC targets and the COP28 pledge to triple global RE capacity. Under the Philippine Energy Plan 2023–2050, the government aims to raise the RE share to 50 percent by 2050, supporting energy security and the balance of payments amid heavy import dependence. Reforms such as liberalized RE ownership, EVOSS, and Green Lanes have boosted investor confidence and record investments. However, major constraints remain, including weak grid infrastructure, high capital costs, regional energy access gaps, land acquisition issues, and skills shortages. Meeting the projected PHP 10.7 trillion investment requirement for 2029–2050 will require timely and comprehensive policy solutions.

This study examines the financing options for the Renewable Energy (RE) transition across three distinct continental regions. The study employs a descriptive analysis of global practices in financing RE conducted through comprehensive review of literature, reports and policy documents. The study addresses a critical gap in the renewable energy finance literature, which is the lack of comparative, institutionally grounded analysis of ETS and Green Bond instruments across advanced and developing economies. Focusing on oil-dependent nations like Nigeria, the study examines how differing institutional arrangements shape the performance of emission trading system and green bonds in Nigeria, Europe, and the United States. Drawing on Institutional Economic Theory, this study advances existing literature by integrating regulatory analysis with comparative financial metrics like issuance volumes, growth trajectories, and impact-reporting practices. The study found out that while developed economies like the EU and USA benefits from matured institutional policy frameworks around ETS to advance the needed RE financing, developing economies like Nigeria lag due to non-existent of coherent policy around ETS and while the EU benefits from a harmonized $388 billion green bond market, the U.S. leverages private certification for $22.6 billion in issuances, Nigeria’s market remains nascent at ₦55 billion since 2017. The study recommends that Nigeria develop comprehensive regulatory frameworks learning from matured policies in the USA and EU while advocating a phased carbon pricing mechanism to support renewable energy transition. The study calls for a collaborative approach to encourage capital inflows from both private and public actors.

The transition to renewable energy is gaining global momentum as countries striveto address climate change, ensure energy security, and achieve sustainabledevelopment. In Sub-Saharan Africa, however, the shift from fossil fuels to cleanerenergy sources remains uneven, with numerous structural, legal, and institutionalchallenges impeding progress. This paper critically examines the legal prospectsand barriers surrounding renewable energy adoption in the region, with aparticular focus on Nigeria the continent’s most populous nation and one of itslargest oil producers. Drawing on comparative legal analysis and policy evaluation,the study explores how existing legal frameworks either promote or hinderrenewable energy development. It further identifies gaps in regulation, inadequateenforcement mechanisms, and the absence of coherent energy transition policies askey obstacles. The paper proposes strategic legal reforms tailored to Nigeria’ssocio-economic and environmental needs, emphasising the need for clearlegislation, robust institutional support, and targeted incentives to attractinvestment in clean energy. By aligning national energy laws with global bestpractices, Nigeria and its Sub-Saharan counterparts can accelerate the shift towardsustainable energy systems. This study contributes to the broader discourse onenvironmental governance and energy justice in the Global South, offeringpractical legal pathways for a just and inclusive energy transition.

Impacts of renewable energy on climate vulnerability: A global perspective for energy transition in a climate adaptation framework

Research background: The twin pressures of economic downturn and climate change faced by countries around the world have become more pronounced over the past decade. A renewable energy transition is believed to play a central role in mitigating the economic-climate paradox. While the architectural and computational power of artificial intelligence is particularly well suited to address the challenges of massive data processing and demand forecasting during a renewable energy transition, there is very scant empirical assessment that takes a social science perspective and explores the effects of AI development on the energy transition. Purpose of the article: This paper aims to answer two key questions: One is, how does AI software development promote or inhibit the shift of energy consumption towards renewables? The other is, under what policy interventions does AI software development have a more positive effect on promoting renewable energy consumption? Methods: We employ a dataset of 62 economies covering the period 2011–2020 to analyze the impact of AI software development on the energy transition, where possible confounders, including political and economic characteristics and time-invariant elements, are controlled using fixed-effects estimation along with specified covariates. Findings &amp; value added: AI software development can promote the energy transition towards renewables. There is suggestive evidence that the core mechanism linking such a positive relationship tends to lie in improving innovation performance in environmental monitoring rather than in green computing. Government support for R&amp;D in renewable energy technologies is found to be significantly beneficial for harnessing the positive impact of AI software development on the energy transition. Compared to non-market-based environmental policies, market-based environmental policies have a more significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between AI software development and energy transition.

The threats posed by climate change are changing both public and private governance, on international, national and local levels. Consequently, enhancing the renewable energy transition is becoming increasingly important, however, remains a field in need of further analysis and discussion. Since 2012 there has been a drastic increase in corporate procurement of renewable energy, and more attention is now given to corporations’ role in the renewable energy transition. This chapter has two purposes: First, it sets out to contribute to the energy transition debate by investigating how multinational corporations are influencing the process. Second, it seeks to explore the potential for corporate leadership on the matter in the Arctic. Existing socio-technical system models provide the analytical framework used to position corporations in the renewable energy transition. A case study of Google reveals key mechanisms indicating how corporations’ influence the transition process. These indications are subsequently used to analyze the possibilities for corporations’ influence on the renewable energy transition in the Arctic region. This study finds that corporations play an essential role in the renewable energy transition by influencing regulations, adding renewable energy to the grid through procurement strategies and encouraging other businesses to follow suit. It further suggests that there is a potential to enhance the renewable transition in certain regions of the Arctic through increased corporate efforts.

Societal Impact Statement People and nature need a renewable energy transition to help address the growing, and catastrophic, effects of climate change. A sustainable energy transition involves rigorously examining the potential impacts on nature – including plant life – and creating pathways for impact mitigation that strike a clear balance between energy production and biodiversity conservation. Given the critical roles that plants play in ecosystems, culture, wellbeing and prosperity, including for Indigenous people, their protection must be recognised, upheld and enhanced in the energy transition. This review seeks to chart a course for policymakers, proponents and practitioners to consider plants when planning, designing and implementing renewable energy infrastructure and projects. Summary A global scale renewable energy transition is now underway, bringing opportunities and challenges for nature, including plant life. Plants form the basis of terrestrial ecosystems and provision of essential ecosystem services; their protection and stewardship must be ensured during the renewable energy transition. Here, we provide a synthesis of the potential impacts of the energy transition on plants. We combine knowledge from research literature in plant ecology, plant biology, sustainability, conservation, spatial planning and social justice with that from policy documents, working papers and environmental assessments for existing renewable developments. The DPSIR method (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses) is used to organise the synthesis, including an examination of the utility of project life cycle assessment for anticipating impacts to plants. Where impacts may negatively affect plants or people, specific calls to action are offered. These include the need to tackle ‘plant blindness’ (i.e., the tendency to overlook, or undervalue plants, compared to animals) in the life cycle of renewable projects – from approval to decommissioning – and the need for Indigenous ownership and benefit sharing. Solutions which can accommodate and enhance plant biodiversity in conjunction with renewable energy projects, including closed‐loop or circular renewable design within the landscape, are discussed. Multiple global strategies call for the biodiversity and climate crises to be addressed in tandem (e.g., the Paris Accord, Global Biodiversity Framework, UN Sustainable Development Goals), underscoring the need for a nature‐based transition to renewable energy. Plant life must be recognised, valued and secured alongside wider biodiversity to achieve a sustainable future for Earth.