Energy Sovereignty Research Articles

What explains India's embrace of solar? State-led energy transition in a developmental polity

In late 2014, India announced plans to increase the deployment of solar technology from 20 GW to 100 GW by 2022 and followed this up by putting in place a set of robust policies to achieve this target. What explains India's strong push to adopt solar electricity? Conventional wisdom mostly credits techno-economic factors, such as falling module prices and competitive bidding to explain this embrace. Though these factors undoubtedly aided the scale-up, solar power was substantially more expensive than domestic coal in the 2014–17 period under study. We conducted 23 elite interviews with former and current Indian government officials, think-tank researchers, consultants, private sector executives, Indian media, and two U.S. officials. We evaluated nine possible drivers behind the Indian government's policy push on solar going beyond the techno-economic emphasis on declining panel prices. Based on the interviews and a review of other observable implications of the various drivers, four chiefly political drivers clearly stood out: domestic politics, global pressure and partnerships, attracting investment, and energy sovereignty. Prime Minister Modi embraced solar to bolster his domestic image as a modernizing reformer and to boost India's reputation internationally. Solar also aimed to leverage investment and dampen India's dependence on energy imports.

Egiazko (in)dependentziez: energiaren ikuspegia Hego Euskal Herrian

Lan honetan Gogoaren aurreko ale batean Ulaziak (2016) hasitako bideari jarraitzen diogu, sistema-energetikaren, ekosofiaren eta jasangarritasunaren oinarri filosofikoak argitu eta gero, Euskal Herriaren burujabetza energetikorako estrategia pragmatiko baten fundamentuak ezartzeko. Erredukzionista izan nahi gabe, energiaren arazoaren garrantzia nabarmentzen dugu hasieran; izan ere, herri baten egiazko (in)dependentziari buruzko eztabaidan, oro har, aipatzen dena baino garrantzizkoagoa da energia, eta horren lekuko dira artikuluan aipatzen diren zenbait adibide geopolitiko. Danimarkako egoera eta Lunden lana erreferentzia gisara hartuta, Euskal Herrirako plan estrategiko baten oinarrien eta ereduen arteko konparaketa egingo dugu; horrela, EAEren eta Nafarroa Garaiaren egungo energiaren sorkuntza eta kontsumo-datuak aintzat hartuta. Energia berriztagarrien aparteko eskasia nabarmentzen da egin den ikerketan, eta horixe da, hain zuzen, herri baten garapena jasangarria dela esateko ezinbesteko baldintzetako bat. Beraz, emaitza enpirikook frogatzen dutenez, independentziari buruzko edozein debate hutsala da, debate horrek energia berriztagarrien inplementazio lokalaren eta bananduaren (deszentralizatuaren) gaia mahaigaineratzen ez badu.

The uncertain games of energy transition in the island of Sardinia (Italy)

Energy is a basic issue for cleaner production and more sustainable consumption. A transition to renewable sources and massive energy savings face several problems: technological lock-ins, energy companies' oligopoly, unsteadily governments' policies. These problems are especially severe in small island developing states or regions. For these territories, however, energy transition can be a chance to improve their situation, especially if they are rich of renewable sources and they can mobilise important cultural and organisational resources, such as claims for identity and autonomy. An exemplary case study is Sardinia, the second biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It has problems of energy supply, strained political relationships with the mainland, and low economic development. The framework for this case study is rooted in multilevel perspective and political economy, complemented by games playing metaphor. The research hypothesis is that sustainable energy practices emerge if a variety of ‘games’ are visible, if they stimulate lay people participation, and if they are consistent with key goals for islanders, including independence, development and identity. In Sardinia, three games are identified: fossil fuels vs. renewables, competition on smart grid and storage system technologies, energy sovereignty vs. energy interdependency. There is not a single result of these games. Variable situations emerge, which allow forecasting a very slow progress of the energy transition.

Energy justice and sustainability transitions in Mozambique

This paper advances the debate on energy justice by opening up a dialogue with postcolonial critiques of development. There is an imperative to develop energy justice theory fit to address the complex demands of a global energy transitions in poorer countries of the Global South. Delivering transformative change in contexts where energy systems are underdeveloped requires assessing energy justice principles from multiple situated perspectives, adjusted to the conditions that shape the possibilities for action. However, current theorizations of energy justice tend to build upon universalist notions of justice within a western tradition of thought which may not be entirely appropriate to deliver policy in postcolonial contexts.This paper offers a situated, particularistic analysis of energy transitions in Mozambique - a country which faces massive energy access challenges - to open a dialogue between theories of energy justice and postcolonial critiques. The paper focuses on three aspects of the energy transition occurring in Mozambique: the logics and impacts of off-grid innovation, the situated transformations occurring in the electricity network, and how transitions in energy fuels shape household experiences of energy access. The conclusion proposes two recommendations as key agendas for future research. The first is a methodological need for research methods to examine energy justice challenges from within specific, situated understandings of energy delivery. The second entails a call for emancipatory notions of energy justice that integrate concepts such as energy sovereignty at their core to emphasise the dimension of self-determination as a complementary aspect of energy justice.

Energy Sovereignty and Corporate Social Responsibility

This paper will examine how corporate social responsibility (CSR), specifically related to the challenges of climate change, is integrated in oil and gas business models using a stakeholder theory approach. The paper will draw upon a case study of the Canadian oil and gas industry, looking at multinational corporations’ institutional pressures with respect to stakeholders, and challenges to their legitimacy, in Canada in comparison to MNC oil and gas operations elsewhere. The Arctic environmental region is home to Canada’s most significant reserves of hydrocarbons, oil and gas, but changes which are being exacerbated by shifts in the earth’s climate will ultimately make the environmental planning process more challenging for companies looking to expand their interests in the Arctic and for the sovereignty debates over land claims and land use. This is not only true because of the changes in the environment itself, but because of the effects of these changes on First Nations communities. This paper will show that long-term changes in environmental frameworks are one of the reasons why cumulative and collaborative CSR efforts are warranted in order to ensure that there is a balance between the interests of different parties. This will be achieved through a project development framework linked to a CSR approach grounded in stakeholder stewardship, rather than self-interest, that recognizes multiple levels of sovereignty in the control and use of resources.

Community Capacity Building for Energy Sovereignty: A First Nation Case Study

<p><em>Ontario’s 2017 Long-Term Energy Plan has identified the </em><em>Wataynikaneyap Power transmission line </em><em>as a priority project.</em><em> </em><em>The line will connect seventeen remote, off-grid, diesel-dependent First Nation</em><em> </em><em>communitiesin </em><em>northwestern Ontario, Canada to the provincial grid</em><em>. The province’s </em><em>current energy mandates and policies commit program dollars to build the human capacities o</em><em>f the seventeen</em><em> </em><em>Wataynikaneyap Power communities </em><em>through the </em><em>Remote Electrification Readiness Program (RERP)</em><em>. This effort is part of growing interests, changing perspectives, and focus in the continuum of provincial strategies to encourage First Nations to meet their emerging energy transitional needs and to partake in the energy sector.</em></p><p><em>Capacity-building challenges are unique in</em><em> </em><em>the</em><em> </em><em>Wataynikaneyap Power communities because</em><em> </em><em>they experience higher levels of poverty and</em><em> </em><em>socio</em><em> </em><em>economic inequities, are subjected to antiquated and unjust institutional structures, are following a legal and self-governance status, and are maintaining distinct cultures and ways of life.</em></p><p><em>Capacity building as a concept is wide-ranging</em><em> </em><em>and offers</em><em> </em><em>a multitude of expressions</em><em> </em><em>and interpretations. For </em><em>the </em><em>Wataynikaneyap Power communities</em><em>, capacity building</em><em> has offered the opportunity</em><em> </em><em>to exert their inherent rights and to increase their participation in local and regional energy planning and development.</em></p><em>This community-based research is derived from grassroots ethnographic community observation. Through a case study of one of the Wataynikaneyap Power communities, Poplar Hill First Nation, the paper will: a) elucidate a working example of an Indigenous capacity-building process through the RERP; b) demonstrate that capacity development is a key building block for self-determination and to achieve energy sovereignty; and c) illustrate the broader scope of learnings and pathways to effective capacity building for Indigenous communities that will drive energy development initiatives and actions in Canada’s expansive energy sector.</em>

The Spanish Turn against Renewable Energy Development

In this study, we focus on the case of Spanish energy policy and its implications for sustainable energy development. In recent years, Spanish legislation has changed dramatically in its approach to sustainable energy sources. This change is despite EU and international efforts to increase energy efficiency, and to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources (RES) in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the socio-technical transitions literature, this paper assesses the role of the new legislation in this altered scenario, and analyzes the evolution of energy production in Spain in the EU context. The results are triangulated with two expert assessments. We find that Spanish energy policy is responding to the energy lobby’s demands for protection for both their investment and their dominant position. This has resulted in a reduction in the number of investors combined with a lack of trust in both local and foreign investors in the sustainable energy sector, affecting also social innovations in energy transitions. We conclude that Spain is a particular case of concomitance between the energy sector and political power which raises concern about the viability of a higher level of energy sovereignty and the achievement of international commitments regarding climate change.

Solar energy's potential to mitigate political risks: The case of an optimised Africa-wide network

Electricity generation expansion planning in Africa has focused almost exclusively on minimising costs. Yet infrastructure projects in Africa have been frequently shown to fail because planners have neglected their socio-political realm. Using the social science literature, this paper derives six political factors that are crucial for African electrification, and incorporates them into a linear, renewable-energy focused bi-criteria optimisation planning model of the African electricity network. The results reveal a significant degree of preventable political risk in the network if the only optimisation criterion is cost minimisation. This cost-minimal solution highly depends on large-scale exports from some of Africa's most politically volatile countries, such as hydroelectric energy from the Democratic Republic of Congo and wind energy from Sudan, Somalia, Chad and Mauritania. However, the model demonstrates that raising the levelised cost of electrification in 2030 by 4% allows to cut preventable political risks of the network by 50%. Crucially, the optimal, most cost-effective risk mitigation strategy is to gradually replace large-scale exports with domestic solar energy abundant in most African countries. High solar energy shares increase national energy sovereignty, meet international climate commitments, and decrease the network's dependence on politically unstable and/or inefficacious countries for generation and transmission.

How to make prosperous and sustainable family farming in Cuba a reality

A number of factors in Cuba today contribute to the urgent need to develop family farming based on agroecological practices across the island. These factors include: soil deterioration, high external dependence for inputs and food, damaging effects of climate change, loss of farmer traditions, and the next generation’s disinterest in a farming lifestyle, coupled with the essential contribution that family farming makes to supplying food for the country, often in small spaces, together offer the real possibility of repairing the damage caused by conventional farming practices. Given this urgent need and possibility, it is important to identify and share successful experiences built on innovative practices. The study presented here aims to do just that by sharing the experiences of a farm representative of the cooperative sector in Cuba. This is a longitudinal study of the agroecological transition that occurred in one farm’s socio-ecological system between 1995 and 2015. In particular, the study evaluates the socio-ecological resilience of the family farm during three periods of transition, which are considerably different from one another given the strategies of the family and the design and management of the socio-ecological system. We define socio-ecological resilience as the capacity of agroecosystems to adaptively change in its socio-ecological structure and interactions in order to withstand and overcome disturbances, stress and change, and to maintain production levels in harmony with the culture, social organization, and satisfaction of the needs and capacity of ecosystems, in an ecologically possible and socially desirable context (Altieri et al., 2012; Casimiro Rodríguez, 2016; Koohafkan et al., 2011). We used the Evaluation Methodology of the Socio-ecological Resilience of family farms (MERS in its Spanish acronym) (Casimiro Rodríguez, 2016), based on the evolution of an array of indicators of efficiency and indexes of food, technological and energy sovereignty, as well as from the transformation process from conventional farming practices to agroecological practices. Based on the results of the study, we show a set of elements that address the need to transform Cuban agriculture by implementing an agroecological base, the importance of family farming, as well as aspects that can come into play in the socio-ecological resilience of other family farms in the country. Please refer to Supplementary Materials, Full text Spanish version of this article, for a full text Spanish version of this article.

Reassembling Caribbean Energy? Petrocaribe, (Post-)Plantation Sovereignty, and Caribbean Energy Futures

In this paper, we probe the possibilities and limits of Petrocaribe, a Venezuelan-led oil alliance that has shaped energy and development initiatives in the Caribbean basin since the mid 2000s, as well as U.S. responses to the program. Drawing from a range of sources, including interviews with regional actors and leaked diplomatic cables from Wikileaks, we describe some of the contours of these competing regional energy assemblages, and analyze how they intersect with both the legacies of colonial dependency and more recent neoliberal models for development within the Caribbean region. We contextualize and frame these initiatives by drawing from Caribbean scholarship on regional history and contemporary change and focus in particular on the continuing role of the plantation model in shaping regional affairs. We place this Caribbean scholarship in conversation with recent work in the social sciences utilizing the concept of assemblage that, we suggest, can be usefully adopted to trace how Caribbean energy networks and relations are structured and change over time. We argue that while Petrocaribe successfully provided opportunities for new forms of Caribbean development, the program had to be layered onto an already-existing oil assemblage comprised of durable infrastructures, private sector actors, and geopolitical interests, thus responding to conditions that limit the available options for truly transforming energy relations within the region. While such conditions opened up a space for a viable U.S. response to Petrocaribe, we argue that U.S. government initiatives in the region have consistently embraced a private sector approach that reproduces existing dependencies rather than enhancing the region’s energy sovereignty.

Fracking Vaca Muerta: Socioeconomic Implications of Shale Gas Extraction in Northern Patagonia, Argentina

This article explores struggles over shale fuel development in the Vaca Muerta formation in the Province of Neuquén in northern Patagonia, Argentina. In particular, this article provides a socio-geographical analysis to elucidate the legal framework used to control underground deposits and critically explore the socioeconomic implications of fracking activities in the community of Añelo, where the infrastructure to support fracking activities is being developed. By analyzing the relationships between national strategies to recover hydrocarbon sovereignty to achieve energy self-sufficiency, provincial government attempts to develop shale deposits to increase the revenue generated from their rent, and everyday lives of citizens in Añelo, this study aims to illuminate the myriad complexities inherent to issues of access to and control over unconventional deposits, the commodification of shale deposits, and the impacts associated with their extraction in a changing energy landscape. The article argues that the socioeconomic impacts experienced in Añelo are not only the direct consequence of the boomtown scenario resulting from the exploitation of Vaca Muerta, but this process is in part the end-result of a national strategy spearheaded by the government to secure the accumulation of capital through shale fuels rent as part of a broader agenda to achieve energy sovereignty. It further contends that changes in Añelo are the direct result of neo-extractivism, where the primary agents responsible for the boomtown scenario in the community are the state-owned YPF, in joint venture with international oil and gas companies.

Contesting energy transitions: wind power and conflicts in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec

Abstract This article studies the expansion of large-scale wind energy projects on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Mexico) and local socio-environmental conflicts that have emerged in response. It explores how the neoliberal agenda in Mexico is shaping a specific way of implementing wind energy projects, and how this is leading to local resistance and the production of alternatives. The article is based on a historical analysis reconstructing the main features of wind power development, and pathways of struggle. By following a political ecology perspective, wind energy is seen as embedded in a wider frame of power relations and the uneven patterns of the Mexican economy. The struggles of indigenous groups are thus analyzed as the expression of peripheral communities against the enclosure of communal lands, the private appropriation of benefits, and the lack of democratic procedures involved in these projects. The discussion emphasizes the role of communal identities and institutions in building successful networks, while introducing new concepts (energy sovereignty) and alternative schemes in wind power production (cooperatives). The overall approach of the article is that any move towards a different energy system should be politically encouraged by social and cultural means, rather than be largely economically motivated. Keywords: wind energy, neoliberalism, socio-environmental conflicts, energy sovereignty, cooperatives, Tehuantepec

Energy democracy: Mapping the debate on energy alternatives

AbstractEnergy is an emerging topic of interest in human geography, and so is the study of alternative approaches to energy provision and governance. These alternatives are often considered manifestations of energy democracy, a notion that has become prominent in energy‐related activism. This paper connects alternative approaches towards novel, sustainable, and more democratic forms of energy provision to develop a typology of the practices and politics of energy democracy. Energy democracy refers to political calls for and the institutionalisation of more participatory forms of energy provision and governance. The typology encompasses alternative approaches to energy provision and governance from the Global North and South, including instances of local autonomy in decentralised systems, urban struggles over public or cooperative ownership of energy utilities, and national approaches to energy sovereignty as alternatives to extractivist development. By drawing together this wide range of empirical examples, energy democracy could overcome both localist and euro‐centric perspectives and provide an orientation for movements seeking to develop more just and sustainable energy systems around the world.

Towards energy sovereignty: biomass as sustainability in interior Alaska

As the price of oil and gas fluctuates in the world economy, and the consequences of a global reliance on fossil fuels resonate in the Anthropocene, Indigenous communities in Alaska are making sustainable choices away from these enterprises. The overall economic effect of high fuel costs and varying land tenure status has put stress on remote Alaska’s mixed subsistence and commercial resource economy. These communities in Alaska pay at least two times as much for diesel fuel on average when compared to prices in the lower 48 states. As a result, Gwichyaa Zhee Corporation, a local Alaska Native owned company, is actively pursuing woody biomass as an alternative energy source in pursuit of energy sovereignty for the village of Fort Yukon, Alaska. This research was interested in what influenced the corporation to pursue biomass. To explore the central themes that promoted energy sovereignty, the authors interviewed biomass personnel and examined archival materials to inductively develop themes during the summer of 2015. These findings indicate that remote, rural Indigenous communities, like Fort Yukon, are not solely motivated by government policies that encourage decreased dependence and a transition away from nonrenewable energies. Rather, rural Indigenous communities implement alternative energy projects like this as a course of action towards their sustainable future development.

Energy sovereignty and development planning: the case of Maputo, Mozambique

Energy sovereignty refers to people's capacity to take decisions about energy planning. It emphasises the role of energy services in everyday life. This refers both to the quality of energy services and the inequalities in service provision. Energy sovereignty supports policy agendas to deliver energy access in local settings. It is an alternative to energy security. Energy security casts energy planning at the national level. In contrast, energy sovereignty brings energy questions close to people's homes. This paper focuses on Chamanculo C, a neighbourhood in Maputo (Mozambique). The analysis illustrates three dimensions of energy sovereignty. First, energy sovereignty emphasises a reciprocal relationship between society and ecosystems. Second, energy sovereignty advocates self-determination in relation to business models and technologies. Third, energy sovereignty promotes participation in decision making and innovation. Development planning scholars can deliver an innovative research agenda on energy sovereignty. This should be an action-oriented agenda. It should emphasise opportunities to form partnerships and enhance collaboration. It should put social justice at the centre of energy debates.

An Android based Automatic Irrigation System using a WSN and GPRS Module

Background/Objectives: This paper presents an automatic irrigation system to provide water to the farms based on soil and temperature conditions using an android application, WSN and GPRS modules. Methods/statistical Analysis: An algorithm is developed such that soil moisture sensor and temperature sensor values are continuously fed to Arduino UNO micro controller. The sensor information is compared with the threshold values and based on that, decision will be taken to water the crops. The system is equipped with the photovoltaic panels and dual communication is established based on cellular-internet interface for continuous inquiry of data by the user. We have also developed an android mobile application for intercepting the data generated. For that purpose, we can also employ a web site. Findings: Because of system's energy sovereignty, low cost and relatively more amounts of underground water saving, this system is preferable at water scarcity locations like desert areas. Conclusion: This irrigation system has been working with high efficiency and top speed. This system sends message to the user whenever sensors exceed there threshold value, by this system every user can understand the soil conditions and controls the system too manually, if needed.

Implications and Challenges for the Energy Sector in Brazil and Mexico to Meet the Carbon Emission Reductions Committed in Their INDC during the COP 21-CMP11

Apesar de contribuir com apenas 1% das emissões globais, duas das maiores economias da América Latina, Brasil e México, estão fortemente empenhadas em reduzir suas emissões de dióxido de carbono (CO2) em 43% e 40%, respectivamente, até o ano de 2030. O alcance desses objetivos não só exige a implementação de inovações técnicas, fontes de energia mais limpas e participação ativa de todos os setores, mas também demandará mudanças significativas nas políticas de energia dos dois países. Este artigo identificará as metas estabelecidas pelo Brasil e México em suas Contribuições Nacionalmente Determinadas Pretendidas (INDCs) e examinará as matrizes de energia primária atuais e perspectivas e as consequentes emissões de CO2. Além disso, serão exploradas as estratégias relacionadas aos esforços técnicos, econômicos e sociais necessários para atingir esses fins. Finalmente, serão discutidas as oportunidades para alcançar os compromissos da COP21-CMP11 por meio da implementação de energia renovável em diferentes setores, assim como será mostrado o seu potencial para também fornecer soberania energética e benefícios econômicos potenciais para as duas nações.

Energy sovereignty in Italian inner areas: Off-grid renewable solutions for isolated systems and rural buildings

This paper deals with a compact system developed to assure energy independence to buildings located in inner rural areas: the Off-Grid Box. This system features a combination of techniques that assure the use of several renewable energy sources, their storage and the rationalization of consumption.This research studies the base model of the Off-Grid Box, which entails the presence of photovoltaic panels as the energy capture system.The aim of this research is to evaluate the opportunity of realizing a system to ensure energy autonomy of rural residential buildings. To achieve energy independence, for an isolated dwelling, this paper assesses the optimal storage systems that may be combined with a photovoltaic system. To this end, an Off-Grid Box has been installed in a residential unit in central Italy. Starting from the real case, two alternative energy storage scenarios were constructed. The results can be applied to a variety of geographical settings and prove the feasibility and strategic importance of total off-grid systems for individual residential units, when they are designed in integrated terms in the area to implement small-scale-smart-grids. In rural areas, these grids should also cater for small farming businesses that feature a different consumption distribution compared to dwellings.

Energy Sovereignty in Rural Areas: Off-Grid Paradigm for Strengthen the Use of Renewable Energy.

Abstract The policy guidelines for the UN General Assembly recognize the need of one universal and transformative agenda for sustainable development, based on the rights, and with people and the planet at the centre. This paper concerns a study of compact system designed to ensure energy independence and then energy sovereignty in marginal rural areas: the Off-Grid Box. This system is an integrated technical device, held in a 6 feet container, which provides - in a Plug&Play way – essential services and resources, namely electricity, hot water, rain water harvesting and storage for washing or irrigation and a water purification process to pasteurize or distil pure water (H 2 O). Key objectives are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the exploitation of renewable energy sources, safeguarding the quality and the availability of clean water, promoting a more sustainable and healthy way of life. OGB can be modulated in different geographical contexts and demonstrate the feasibility and the strategic use of total off grid systems for individual units ensuring energy sovereignty of local communities. These systems should be designed in terms incorporated in the territory in order to realize the small-scale-smart-grid. These scenarios are interesting in rural areas especially for small family farms that adopt sustainable models and methods of production with low environmental impact and low energy demand. Keywords: Energy sovereignty, renewable energy, off-grid system, small scale farming, rural development.

Oil in the West African Transform Margin: Dangers and Possibilities

ABSTRACTThe West African Transform Margin (WATM) is the new centre of oil exploration in Africa. Less is known about its experiences and more work is needed to unearth them. Viewed through the eyes of Frantz Fanon, Aimé Césaire, and Walter Rodney, the available evidence shows not only the persistence of grave limiting dangers about the colonial economic structure in this subregion but also major possibilities about inter- and intra-regional linkages. A strategy of alternative indigenous regional vision that de-emphasises economic growth and stresses autonomy, distribution, and energy sovereignty is shown to be workable, and superior to the status quo. How to make the transition will be challenging but the effort is worth making for by doing so the region will take control and direction of its resources, to plan, to develop, and to manage them, and hence to free itself from the debilitating shackles of the unjust economic order of the world system.