Energy Policy Research Articles

Soviet Energy Policy: Lessons for Modern Russia

The study examines the energy strategy and achievements of the Soviet Union in building the world’s largest oil and gas complex (OGC). The paper analyzes the causes of decline in the domestic oil and gas industry after the Soviet era and proposes recommendations for enhancing Russia’s energy policy, considering experiences. Within the framework of the energy policy of the Russian Federation, the author discusses a diverse set of state tasks. These tasks encompass ensuring stable growth in proven reserves, optimizing hydrocarbon resource usage, fostering progress in new oil and gas regions, and developing industry personnel through training programs.

Saudi Arabia’s Journey toward a Renewable Future

Recent statistics indicate that as of 2023, the global renewable energy capacity has reached new heights, with Saudi Arabia significantly contributing to this growth through its strategic initiatives. The kingdom is particularly focusing on harnessing solar power, given its abundant sunlight, and is also exploring wind energy, leveraging its vast desert landscapes. These efforts are part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to become a global leader in renewable energy. This paper provides a detailed exploration of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious journey from a fossil-fuel-dominated energy sector to a more sustainable, renewable-energy-driven future. Anchored in the broader context of global energy trends, the study emphasizes the critical shift toward renewable resources, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia’s unique position in this global movement. Key to this transition is Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a strategic framework that guides the country’s renewable energy policies and initiatives. A comprehensive review of these policies, including other governmental and international collaborations that support renewable energy development, is offered. The current state of renewable energy in Saudi Arabia is assessed, including an overview of existing projects and production statistics. The paper also explores emerging technologies such as energy storage systems and smart grid solutions, emphasizing their role in Saudi Arabia’s energy transition. An impact assessment is conducted to understand the environmental, economic, and social effects of this energy shift. The paper also includes a comparative analysis of other countries’ renewable energy transitions, extracting lessons and best practices applicable to the Saudi context. Strategic recommendations and reflections on Saudi Arabia’s future role in the global energy landscape are provided for stakeholders in energy policy, environmental planning, and sustainable development.

Impact of environmental, energy and business efficiency on [formula omitted] emissions: A composite indicator for emerging Asia-Pacific markets

Environmental, energy, business and development dynamics have received strong research interest. However, previous studies have mainly explored these topics separately. Conversely, we study these aspects jointly, constructing a composite indicator and assessing resulting impact on several SDGs domains. The aim of the analysis is to discover the importance of latent aspects in explaning the environmental, energy and business efficiency for specific countries. Estimating this multidimensional efficiency is relevant for the identification of the conditions for the achievement of CO2 containment and sustainable development progress. We make use of the World Bank's World Development Indicators (WB WDI) for selected emerging countries from the Asia-Pacific region ranging from lower-middle-income to upper-middle-income economies, following the WB Group country classifications by income level. We build a composite indicator for eliciting diverse dimensions related to the environment, energy policy and economic factors. The first steps of the indicators analysis are achieved by the combination of the DEA and Tobit analyses. Therefore, we examine the environmental, energy and business efficiency according to the economic development stage of the analysed countries, making use of an entropy index. The index’ robustness is tested at both stages – first, exploring the Tobit analysis, therefore, by inspecting an additional Asia-Pacific country having a different income with respect to the benchmark. The results suggest the creation of country clusters. Above all, China outstands in terms of environmental efficiency and R&D, as a result of a broader energy development strategic plan in the last few decades.

Impact of insulation on energy consumption and CO2 emissions in high-rise commercial buildings at various climate zones

Abstract This study investigates the impact of insulation on energy consumption and CO2 emissions in high-rise commercial buildings across various climate zones. Through a simulation-based approach using the Hourly Analysis Program (HAP), the effectiveness of insulation in reducing energy demand and carbon emissions are evaluated. The research includes multiple climatic regions of Afghanistan, including arid, semi-arid, and mountainous zones. Methodologically, detailed building characteristics, climatic data, and insulation materials are considered, with energy modeling techniques applied to assess the performance of insulation measures. Results indicate varying degrees of energy savings and CO2 emissions reduction associated with insulation across different climate zones, in cities such as Kabul, Herat, Mazar, and Kandahar. Furthermore, the study calculates CO2 emissions reduction resulting from insulation addition, emphasizing the importance of sustainable building practices in mitigating environmental impacts. By underscoring the scientific value of this research in addressing a pressing global challenge and providing actionable insights for building design and energy policy, this study contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field of sustainable construction and environmental engineering.

Advanced analysis of operating parameters utilizing big data to improve building cooling equipment energy efficiency standards

The rapid increase in building energy consumption has highlighted the critical contribution of building cooling/heating equipment, including room air conditioners and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems. However, existing energy efficiency standards for such equipment often specify testing conditions that differ from real-world usage scenarios and are unsupported by in-depth investigations, resulting in evaluations of equipment performance that do not align with actual performance. Therefore, the increasing availability of large-scale real-time monitoring datasets was leveraged in this study to develop an innovative technical approach to derive a more accurate description of VRF operation-related parameters. This approach was applied to inform suggestions for the enhancement of energy efficiency standards for VRF devices by collecting and preprocessing data, extracting operating parameters, conducting data analysis and comparisons, and discussing potential applications. The results of this study indicate that the type of building significantly influences the actual performance of a VRF and imply that large-scale monitoring data can provide a foundation for the revision of building equipment energy efficiency standards as well as future investigations of building equipment energy policies.

Optimal coordination of power to gas-linked energy systems: Focused on energy policy in South Korea

In this paper, the role of Power to Gas (P2G) technology in securing contributions from policy and economic perspectives is explored. The potential of P2G-linked energy systems to enhance the output of uncontrollable Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is examined, thereby ensuring more effective power rates from RES and achieving policy-mandated clean hydrogen production targets. From the perspective of policymakers, the integration of P2G technology represents a significant advancement toward achieving policy objectives. Furthermore, this paper investigates how new business models leveraging P2G technology can develop innovative benefit structures and strengthen economic contributions. The feasibility of P2G integration is analyzed from the viewpoints of policymakers, who aim to achieve policy goals, and Energy eXchange Aggregators (EXA), the investment entities responsible for the practical implementation of P2G technology. The research findings confirm that as the capacity of RES increases, the performance of P2G technology significantly improves. Compared to systems not utilizing P2G, the application of P2G technology results in an increase of up to 25 % in the maximum effective power rate from RES and a numerical improvement of approximately 22 % in the benefits derived from RES. While this paper focuses on energy policy factors in South Korea, its findings and implications can be extended to a global context, assuming a mandatory increase in the share of clean hydrogen production and RES globally in the future.

Are West Africa's policy, planning, and regulatory frameworks missing the harmonization piece of the power pooling-renewable energy puzzle?

Sound policy, planning and quality regulation are cornerstones to co-creating national markets conducive to the implementation of an efficient regional electricity market. This study examines the policy, planning and regulatory substance and processes in the West African Power Pool, focusing on four countries, namely Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali. Through its specialized institutions, the region seeks to leverage shared resources and complementarities to scale up sustainable electricity generation and enhance cross-border electricity trade. The study, however, reveals half-hearted renewable energy (RE) policies, weak RE investment planning and inconsistent regulation on the one hand, and on the other hand, a lack of harmonization of regulatory frameworks which are often misaligned with the regional vision. This translates into missed opportunities to attract the necessary investments in sustainable power infrastructure, particularly from the private sector, and to mutually develop a regional market capable of tackling the long-standing challenge of access to reliable and affordable electricity amid the climate crisis. This can be reversed if countries are fully committed and duly equipped to improve their policies and planning processes, and adjust and harmonize their regulatory frameworks under the guidance, support, and leadership of the regional entities.

National Environmental Taxes and Industrial Waste in Countries across Europe

The use of economic instruments within environmental policy has become a challenging topic for policymakers, governments and scholars. Environmental taxes have emerged as a prevailing preference in developed countries to promote sustainability. Recently, a particular focus has been given to waste generation and disposal, shifting the attention from greenhouse gases to another important source of environmental pollution. This paper investigates the effect of national environmental taxes and policies on industrial waste. A fixed effects model is used for 34 countries across Europe from 2004 to 2022. The results suggest that environmental taxes and energy policies reduce industrial (hazardous and non-hazardous) waste. However, environmental tax reforms should take into consideration the deterioration in environmental quality, the increase in economic costs and undesirable social consequences.

The importance of citizen participation in improving comfort and health in obsolete neighbourhoods affected by energy poverty

This study analyses comfort and health in obsolete neighbourhoods in regions with high rates of energy poverty. The Polígono San Pablo in the city of Seville, Spain has been chosen as a case study.The research aims to highlight the importance of including participatory processes in the analysis of human rights issues, such as energy poverty. A hybrid and interdisciplinary methodology is presented which incorporates a citizen participation process. The aim is to use this methodology to identify how an obsolete building stock and lack of access to a basic energy service may be affecting people's health.The main results obtained show the need to include citizen consultation to identify shortcomings and potentialities in obsolete neighbourhoods, especially in terms of energy education. This is expected to contribute to the creation of more effective local energy policies to address the multidimensional problem of energy poverty.

Understanding how climate preferences, environmental policy stringency, and energy policy uncertainty shape renewable energy investments in Germany

Understanding how climate preferences, environmental policy stringency, and energy policy uncertainty shape renewable energy investments in Germany

Modelling induced innovation for the low-carbon energy transition: a menu of options

Abstract Induced innovation is a multi-faceted process characterized by interaction between demand-pull forces, path-dependent self-reinforcing change, and the cost reduction of technology that occurs with cumulative deployment. By endogenously including induced innovation in energy models, policy analysts and modellers could enable a mission-oriented approach to policymaking that envisions the opportunities of accelerating the low-carbon energy transition while avoiding the risks of inaction. While the Integrated Assessment Models used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-IAMs) account for induced innovation, their assumptions of general equilibrium and optimality may reveal weaknesses that produce unsatisfactory results for policymakers. In this paper, we develop a menu of options for modelling induced innovation in the energy transition with non-equilibrium, non-optimal models by a three step methodology: a modelling survey questionnaire, a review of the literature, and an analysis of case studies from modelling applications within the Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) programme. The survey questionnaire allows us to compare 24 models from EEIST partner institutions developed to inform energy and decarbonization policy decisions. We find that only six models, FTT, GIBM, SEC, E3ME, M3E3 and DSK, represent endogenous innovation—in the form of learning curves, R&D, and spillover effects. The review of the literature and analysis of case studies allow us to form a typology of different models of induced innovation alongside the IPCC-IAMs and develop a decision tree to guide policy analysts and modellers in the choice of the most appropriate models to answer specific policy questions. The paper provides evidence for integrating narrow and systemic approaches to modelling-induced innovation in the context of low-carbon energy transition, and promotes cooperation instead of competition between different but complementary approaches. These findings are consistent with the implementation of Risk-Opportunity Analysis as a policy appraisal method to evaluate low-carbon transition pathways.

Navigating sustainability in the US: A comprehensive analysis of green energy, eco-innovation, and economic policy uncertainty on sectoral CO2 emissions

The United States is the world's second-largest polluter, generating 4.7 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2020. To combat it, the US is targeting a precise goal of 50–52 percent decrease in net CO2 emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. Hence, it is vital to determine the critical factors contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With this motivation, this study examines dynamic link between green energy transition, eco-innovation, economic policy uncertainty, energy use, economic growth, and sectoral CO2 emissions (SCO2) in the United States from 1980 to 2020 by using novel Quantile-On-Quantile Regression (QQR) and Granger causality in quantile approaches. The results show that the quantiles of the green energy transition are positively related to all SCO2 quantiles. While eco-innovation and SCO2 are marginally favorable in the lower to higher quantiles, positive slope coefficients showcase the effect of economic policy uncertainty on SCO2 in the 0.2–0.95 quantiles. Similarly, SCO2 and the energy use showed positive and negative results across quantiles, whereas QQR slope coefficients between SCO2 and economic growth are positive and negative throughout the quantiles. Suggests that investment in green energy and eco-innovation also reduces economic policy uncertainty by delivering energy for all sectors is vital if SDG-7 is executed by 2030.

A conceptual analysis of gendered energy care work and epistemic injustice through a case study of Zanzibar’s Solar Mamas

AbstractEnergy and climate transitions bear an inherent risk of replicating historically embedded unjust gendered norms in the current energy regimes. Positioning our work within critical feminist scholarship, our study emphasizes the embedded nature of energy technologies within respective socio-economic, institutional and cultural contexts. We use a combined lens of care and epistemic injustice to examine the case study of Solar Mamas in Barefoot College Zanzibar, highlighting the nuanced interplay of power relations in decentralized energy transitions. This approach helps comprehend and value gendered energy care work as involving skilled labour in everyday life. Our findings illustrate the need for energy transitions research, policy and practice to be deeply informed by lived experiences, diverse practices of care within the energy webs and valuing of multiple voices. We argue that interventions prioritizing care and knowledge in decentralized, locally managed energy provisioning have the potential to disrupt established gender relations.

Pushing Forward the Deployment of Renewable Energy: Do Cross-National Spillovers of Policy Instruments Matter?

The deployment of renewables is a vital option for tackling the global challenge of climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. In international energy policy debates, existing literature has detected the outcome of various policy instruments and the driving factors of renewables development, whereas the spatial effects of different policy instruments on renewables deployment at a cross-national level have not been addressed. The novelty of this study lies in filling this gap through investigating the spatial interdependence effect of technology-push and demand-pull policies on the diffusion of renewables in European Union countries from multidimensional perspective of geography, institution, and culture. The results demonstrate that demand-pull policies give great impetus to the diffusion of domestic renewables, while the positive role of technology-push policies turns out to be comparatively less influential. From the transnational spillover perspective, it is confirmed that the domestic deployment of renewables is influenced to some extent by various policy instruments of geographically adjacent or institutionally and culturally similar regions. In addition, the spatial spillover effect of demand-pull policies is much stronger than that of technology-push policies. These findings from spatial perspective provide new insights for public policy guidance to achieve the sustainability of energy landscape.

Long-Term Energy System Modelling for a Clean Energy Transition in Egypt’s Energy Sector

Egypt has the potential to generate a significant amount of energy from renewable technologies, in particular solar PV, concentrated solar power (CSP), and onshore and offshore wind. The energy sector is reliant on fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, for electricity production and is at risk of locking itself into a high carbon pathway. Globally, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with national energy sectors is a target outlined in the UN’s Paris Agreement. To reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with a higher dependence on fossil fuels, Egypt must consider upscaling renewable energy technologies (RETs) to achieve a clean energy transition (CET). This research modelled six scenarios using clicSAND for OSeMOSYS to identify the technologies and policy target improvements that are needed to upscale RETs within Egypt’s energy sector. The results showed that solar PV and onshore wind are key technologies to be upscaled to contribute towards Egypt’s CET. The optimal renewable target is the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) target of 53% of electricity being sourced from RETs by 2030, which will cost USD 16.4 billion more up to 2035 than Egypt’s current Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy (ISES) target of 42% by 2035; it also saves 732.0 MtCO2 over the entire modelling period to 2070. Socio-economic barriers to this transition are considered, such as recent discoveries of natural gas reserves combined with a history of energy insecurity, political instability impacting investor confidence, and a lack of international climate funding. The paper concludes with policy recommendations that would enable Egypt to progress towards achieving a CET.

Public perceptions on net zero energy houses in Japan

AbstractFor Japan, which has not operated nearly all of its nuclear power plants since 2011 and is dependent on thermal power generation, the introduction of renewable energy into homes is extremely important for the future formation of a sustainable society. However, the introduction of net zero energy house (ZEH) in detached houses, which account for 55% of all dwellings in Japan, has not progressed. To promote the introduction of ZEH, this study clarified the awareness of owners of detached houses regarding ZEH. We analyzed factors that influence such perception of solar photovoltaics (PV) technology using a 1000-sample online survey questionnaire. The survey was conducted in late January 2020 and included questions examining the public perception of solar installation and factors that were found to be important in previous research. We found that Japanese respondents who live in detached houses generally lack an understanding of renewables and that the level of interest in installing solar PV for the ZEH is low. We also found that awareness of renewables, such as knowing new energy policy and searching information on solar PV, is the critical factor of installing renewables. At the same time, most socio-demographic and neighborhood variables seem not to influence installing solar PV or other technologies for ZEH. This research will contribute to the Japanese government’s goal of strengthening education on renewable energy to promote ZEH.

International Legal Approach to Understanding Energy Diplomacy

INTRODUCTION. The relevance of the research topic is determined, firstly, by the increasing importance of energy diplomacy for solving modern problems arising in the field of international energy cooperation, and secondly, by the significance of studying the problems of energy diplomacy from the point of view of the science of international law. Despite the fact that energy diplomacy is being formed and realizing its potential in the international legal environment, it is not given adequate attention to its role in the legal literature, including in scientific works on international law, which, in turn, looks like a gap in international legal science. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the international legal concept of energy diplomacy, to identify its connection with the classical model of diplomacy and at the same time specific, to objectively identify the main directions of the relationship between energy diplomacy and international law.MATERIALS AND METHODS. When writing the work, scientific works related to the topic, international treaties and documents of international law, acts of national legislation of states are analyzed. General scientific and special methods of cognition, including comparative legal and formal legal, were used as a research method.RESEARCH RESULTS. Energy diplomacy is derived from the “classical” model of diplomacy. There are various interpretations of diplomacy, focusing on its various aspects and manifestations. The article substantiates the understanding of diplomacy as a means of implementing the state’s foreign policy through the activities of special entities (bodies of foreign relations) using non-military techniques and methods in accordance with international law. The evolution of diplomacy and the emergence of its new forms are traced, their specificity and international legal component are noted. Taking into account the specifics of energy, international energy cooperation, their legal support based on the potential of international and national law, the independent nature of energy diplomacy, its increasing role in modern conditions is substantiated. The specific features of energy diplomacy are identified and its concept is proposed, taking into account the international legal component. In modern conditions, full-fledged regulatory and institutional legal foundations of the EU’s foreign energy policy and energy diplomacy have not developed. It is noted that the legitimacy of unilateral restrictive measures applied in energy diplomacy by a number of states is indisputable from the point of view of international law. The main directions of the relationship between energy diplomacy and international law are outlined in detail, options for legitimizing the national interests of states in the energy sector based on the potential of international law are highlighted.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. The main conclusions of the study are as follows. Firstly, energy diplomacy is a new functional area of diplomatic activity. It has a single essence with “classical” diplomacy (to serve as a means of implementing foreign policy, in accordance with international law) and, at the same time, is characterized by a number of features derived from the energy sector and energy law (a special focus on the implementation of the goals and objectives of the state's foreign energy policy, the participation of energy departments in it and the connection of energy companies, methods used in it). Secondly, energy diplomacy and international law in the process of their development and functioning are mutually linked and have a reciprocal influence. International law, firstly, defines the legal framework and forms of implementation of energy diplomacy (as well as diplomatic activity in general), and secondly, plays a decisive role in legitimizing the national interests of states in the field of foreign energy policy carried out through energy diplomacy. In turn, energy diplomacy, relying on the potential of international law, contributes to ensuring energy security (national and international) and, thereby, to maintaining the international energy order. In general, energy diplomacy influences the process of creation and operation of international law norms and contributes to the development of international law.

Consumption-Based Energy Footprints in Iceland: High and Equally Distributed

With the urgent global need to limit warming to 2 °C as well as a localized need in our case study to address rising energy demand amid electrical and thermal network limitations, a critical examination of demand-side energy reductions and the concept of energy sufficiency is needed. This paper contributes to the sparse literature on bottom-up analysis by utilizing Iceland—a leader in renewable energy generation—as a case study to explore the socio-economic factors influencing energy footprints. Our findings reveal significant energy footprints across various consumption domains, particularly housing and mobility, influenced by income levels, urbanization, and lifestyle choices. The study highlights the paradox of a high renewable energy supply leading to potential misconceptions regarding abundant and low-cost energy, resulting in substantial energy consumption-related environmental impacts. Using detailed household consumption survey data, this research provides insights crucial for developing sustainable energy policies that not only target technological advancements but also address the need for a reduction in energy demand and a shift towards energy sufficiency. This work marks a contribution to the literature through the provision of a case study of low income inequality and high energy footprints in a highly renewable energy system context. Further, this work is useful for Icelandic and international policymakers to understand in such high-demand contexts which consumption domains would be most relevant for sufficiency policies. This comprehensive analysis opens pathways for future research to further explore the intersections of energy consumption, socio-economic factors, and well-being, offering a nuanced understanding necessary for crafting sufficiency and demand-side policies aimed at a sustainable energy future.

Renewable Energy Investments in Poland: Goals, Socio-Economic Benefits, and Development Directions

Renewable energy sources (RES) will play a key role in the transition to clean energy. Financial and socio-economic benefits determine the investment management in these energy sources. This article aims to indicate current energy policy goals, present socio-economic benefits resulting from renewable energy investments, and review further development directions in Poland. The research was carried out using desk research, case studies, and literature review methods to provide a broader economic context for RES investments. The scope of the research included both the Polish and the European Union contexts. The authors examined the Polish objectives of investment in renewable energy contained in strategic, planning, and other legal documents compared to EU targets, reviewed possible investments in renewable energy, and indicated wind farms and photovoltaic investments as the most effective ones from the point of view of further development which aims to meet the EU’s goals by 2030. The authors also demonstrated a wide range of socio-economic benefits based on literature reviews, analysis of policy documents, and regulations regarding the energy sector, and examined a specific example of investment implementation and identified the ecosystem of beneficiaries and their benefits.

Stock market reaction to new energy vehicle industry development plan: an event study in China

ABSTRACT The targets of energy conservation, decarbonization, and industry reinvigoration have significantly influenced the design of China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) industrial policies and nationwide electrification. As a monumental policy framework for energy transition in transportation sector, the NEV industry development plan plays an influential role in promoting cleantech diffusion and enhancing NEV competitiveness. This study employs an event study method to investigate the stock market reaction to the NEV plan shocks. The NEV plan announced in 2020 receives a markedly positive stock price effect of 3.72% in the 6-day event window. Heterogeneity tests on subsamples indicate that state-backed entities exhibit a similar effect to the total sample, while the automotive manufacturing class and original equipment manufacturers see a significantly higher market value gain of 6.56% and 13.34%, respectively. However, battery manufacturers, as one of the key participants in the NEV value chain, experience an insignificant stock price effect. This study documents the financial consequences of clean energy policies specific to the emission-intensive automotive manufacturing sector, highlights the effectiveness of government-to-investor signalling in a cleantech diffusion context, and reveals the implications to other economies seeking to deploy clean transport and enhance environmental sustainability.