Regional Energy Transitions Research Articles

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Regional Energy Transition:Evidence from China

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology advances rapidly, its role in promoting regional energy transformation is becoming increasingly apparent. This paper utilizes regional-level panel data from China, covering the period from 2011 to 2021, to systematically assess the impact of AI development on energy transformation. Using econometric models, including fixed-effects and instrumental variable regressions, the study reveals that an increase in AI enterprises within a region significantly reduces energy consumption per unit of GDP, thereby accelerating regional energy transition. The analysis identifies two primary channels through which AI exerts this effect: by facilitating the upgrading of the regional industrial structure and by promoting the growth of the digital economy. The findings also show that the impact of AI is more pronounced in highly urbanized regions, particularly in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Additionally, the results highlight that AI-driven reductions in energy consumption are largely achieved through improved efficiency in coal and electricity usage, addressing key structural issues in China's energy landscape.

The branding pyramidical tool kit for enhancing actors’ agency in regional energy transitions within the Nordic Battery Belt

This article investigates how to enhance the agency of regional actors in the branding of the ‘Nordic Battery Belt’ (NBB), the region where the industry, considered a new green path, is emerging. Branding will enhance the attraction of skilled workforce, investment, market, and increased public awareness of the industry’s contribution to decarbonization. While national battery strategies have been developed to promote the industry, the tool kit that can enhance the implementation of the strategic branding action plan is underexplored. Firstly, this article develops a tool kit based on the directed content analysis, which ensures the use of existing branding theory and its pyramidic components: attention, awareness, associations, attitudes, and relationships. Regional actors can leverage the tool kit as it reduces oversight and increases lucidity and conciseness. Secondly, the paper develops a conceptual framework through a multidisciplinary approach to elaborate on the importance of the tool kit for enhancing actors’ agency in regional branding. The paper is relevant for regional actors, e.g., development agencies within the Nordic region that are saddled with the responsibility of place branding.

Assessing the impact of hydrogen trade towards low-carbon energy transition

Hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a pivotal commodity in the low-carbon energy transition, bridging regional disparities in hydrogen production capacity and facilitating international energy trade. Existing research has yet to delve into the impact of global hydrogen trade on energy transitions, as well as the key factors driving the development of hydrogen trade. This study, utilizing the updated GCAM-TU model, which mainly extends the original Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM) with a hydrogen trade module, provides a multi-scenario outlook on the characteristics of hydrogen trade and its impact on global and regional energy transition. The findings indicate that by 2050, the global hydrogen trade volume is expected to reach 9-19EJ, accounting for a quarter of the global hydrogen consumption in different scenarios, with green hydrogen trade dominating due to its cost advantages. Pipeline hydrogen and ammonia shipping will govern the trade market, representing 33%–61% and 24%–64% of trade volume, respectively, while liquid hydrogen shipping holds an advantage for medium distances. Hydrogen trade is projected to increase global hydrogen demand by 1.2–5.3EJ and reduce hydrogen prices by 11%–36% in the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, thereby expanding their hydrogen consumption by 8%–55% and reducing regional carbon prices by 1%–6%. Moreover, hydrogen trade significantly alters the regional distribution of global hydrogen production, with major exporting regions such as North and East Africa increasing their hydrogen production for export by up to 150%. To facilitate the development of hydrogen and hydrogen trade, it is crucial for potential importing and exporting regions to enhance global financial and technological cooperation, develop key hydrogen production and transportation technologies, and retrofit existing nature gas infrastructure to reduce costs. Additionally, forming stable trade partnerships is essential for maintaining energy security in the hydrogen trade.

Human behavior and socioeconomic influences on renewable energy adoption in Qatar

ABSTRACT Energy transition in hydrocarbon-rich regions like Qatar is crucial for addressing climate change. This study, acknowledging gaps in our understanding of societal perspectives on this transition, specifically investigates public views on renewable energy (RE) in Qatar. A mixed-methods questionnaire was employed to capture a broad spectrum of public knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and behaviors regarding RE. A distinctive feature of this research is its integrative approach, which encompasses environmental, economic, and policy alongside public perception and media influence. This methodology effectively bridges the research gaps in Qatar, providing a comprehensive understanding of the country’s energy transition. Multiple analyses of responses (n = 604) revealed significant trends and sociodemographic factors influencing these detailed societal opinions on RE. The findings demonstrate a cautious yet optimistic public viewpoint toward RE, with substantial support for increasing its usage over traditional oil and gas. They also highlight the importance of governmental initiatives and the global shift toward sustainable practices, along with the need for enhanced public education to bridge gaps in understanding various RE sources. The study uncovers complexities in public attitudes, shaped by sociodemographic factors, and underscores the discrepancy between initial enthusiasm for RE and its sustained daily use.

Reading the room: developing a practical justice politics of regional energy transition

ABSTRACT This study looks at the case of industrial energy transition campaigning by a traditional conservation group in a regional city that hosts coal- fired power and emissions-intensive industry. We ask, what tensions do metropolitan campaigners find when communicating the idea of just transition and building alliances in regional places? How do they deal with those tensions? What does this mean for the task of developing ‘useable useful theories of environmental justice’ ? Our results illustrate the need to navigate three principal tensions: inclusivity, recognition, and equity. The case of the Australian Conservation Foundation in Gladstone reveals that as these tensions get worked through, the campaign goal is reframed as something other than ‘just transition’ and more akin to a local environmental justice campaigning. Ultimately, the ENGO now wrestles with the local difficulties of building energy justice politics on the scale and time-frame that climate science implies.

Regional energy transition governance for the co-transformation of sustainable energy infrastructure as a public service in rural areas

Die dringende Transformation unseres Energiesystems hin zu einer nachhaltigen Infrastruktur der Daseinsvorsorge scheitert in der regionalen Umsetzung regelmäßig an raumbezogenen und gesellschaftlichen Anforderungen des ländlichen Raums. In diesem Beitrag werden am Beispiel eines transdisziplinären Projektes Dilemmata in der partizipativen Umsetzung der regionalen Energiewende identifiziert und Gelingensbedingungen einer raumsensiblen Energiewende-Governance formuliert. Wie mit dem entwickelten Governance-Ansatz zur „Co-Transformation“ gezeigt wird, können kontextsensitive Partizipationsformen der Co-Regulierung, Co-Allokation und Co-Visionierung zur Verfahrens‑, Verteilungs- sowie Zukunftsgerechtigkeit und damit zur Akzeptabilität der regionalen Energiewende als Daseinsvorsorgeinfrastruktur im ländlichen Raum beitragen. Zentrale Maßnahmenfelder sind dabei ergebnisoffene und regional angepasste Formen der Mitwirkung durch die Co-Regulierung im Planungsprozess, Ansätze zur räumlichen Co-Allokation energiewendebezogener Belastungen und lokaler Mehrwerte sowie die Co-Visionierung regionaler Energiezukünfte und daraus abzuleitender regionaler Energievisionen.

The energy quadrilemma challenges - Insights from the decentralized energy transition in Brazil

The energy trilemma concept provides an important framework for understanding the multidimensional nature of energy policy and planning. It captures three fundamental challenges that highlight the complex interrelationships among energy security, equity, and sustainability. However, effectively addressing these challenges requires a refined understanding of local contexts, regional differences, and governance. This study expands this framework by introducing a context dimension that includes socioeconomic, environmental, and governance factors to complement the Energy Trilemma Index, resulting in the "energy quadrilemma." This framework allows for a more comprehensive examination of regional energy transition challenges in Brazil. The results reveal significant regional disparities, highlighting energy access as a source of socio-spatial inequality in Brazil. The Northeast region excels in energy security, while the Southeast lags in electricity independence. The South, Southeast, and Midwest have outstanding energy equity and environmental sustainability scores. Context indicators exhibit low scores in all regions, particularly in the North and Northeast. In addition, areas with the highest poverty scores have also limited digital access. These findings highlight the need for effective strategies and policies to address the multifaceted challenges of the energy quadrilemma, integrating socioeconomic and governance dimensions to advance energy transitions and planning at the regional level.

Research overview and outcomes: just transitions to decarbonisation in the Asia-Pacific

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of a study examining microgrids for off-grid rural electrification in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam within the ASEAN context. Utilising mixed methods, this study delved into the techno-economic aspects of these systems and explored varied business models and governance strategies. It assessed how these models and strategies impact rural electricity access and contribute to a just regional energy transition. The study highlights the dual benefits of enhancing regional energy access and community empowerment while addressing shared challenges in climate change and decarboni- sation. It identified potential market opportunities at the national level, with an expectation of increased private sector involvement amid prospective system liberalisations. Viewed through the lens of energy justice, the regional energy transition is presented not only as an environmental imperative but also as a catalyst for economic growth. This involves creating jobs, expanding electricity access, and mitigating climate impacts for local communities and the broader region. This study also sheds light on workforce and labour support and industry transformation, suggesting avenues for future research.

Unlocking local value-added opportunities in the energy transition in former coal regions—the case of Lusatia (Lausitz)

The main result of this study is that Lusatia, as an energy transition and structural change region, still has high expansion potential for photovoltaic and wind energy systems. In 2040, electricity production from wind turbines could reach four times the current level. In the case of photovoltaic systems, around seven to eight times the current level is possible. Only in the area of biomass has the expansion potential already been largely exhausted. The building sector can also contribute to achieving climate neutrality. If the renovation rate is significantly increased to 3.3% per year by 2040, the required heating energy can be reduced by around 60%.At the same time, these energy transition scenarios are evaluated with regard to their regional economic opportunities for Lusatia. In an ambitious climate neutrality scenario, around 450 million euros in regional added value can be generated in 2040 and around 3560 full-time jobs can be filled. In order for this to succeed, however, the citizens and municipalities must first be given more opportunities for financial participation through appropriate framework conditions at federal and state level. We see financial benefits for the population and the municipalities as a critical success factor in order to be able to provide the necessary space, initiate investments and ultimately contribute to local acceptance.

Study on city's energy transition: Evidence from the establishment of the new energy demonstration cities in China

Actively promoting city's energy transition is crucial for achieving SDG-7 and SDG-13. Taking the establishment of New Energy Demonstration Cities (NEDC) in China as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper employs difference-in-difference model to empirically test the impact of the NEDC policy on city's energy transition and its underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrate that the NEDC policy has significantly accelerated regional energy transition. Through an analysis of the internal motivation for energy transition, we find that this positive effect is predominantly driven by green demand-side rather than supply-side. Further examination of the external impetus for energy transition reveals that government governance, technology innovation, and the associated human and financial supports are key factors in propelling local energy transition. Our findings offer insights into the pathways of city's energy transition for China and other countries.

Energy Transition Reality Check: Are Municipalities Meeting the Mark?

Abstract In order to meet regional and national climate neutrality goals, decentralisation has placed the energy sector under local government governance, pushing municipalities to take a more active role in energy planning and sector decarbonisation. This study attempted to assess the extent to which municipal efforts have been successful in the adaptation of low-carbon energy systems, and what is the current state of municipal initiatives concerning regional energy transitions. A composite index was constructed, incorporating nine indicators grouped into three main dimensions of sustainable municipal energy transition: energy efficiency, energy decarbonization, and smart energy system deployment. Five municipalities of the Baltic Sea Region were analyzed, and their energy transitions were assessed: the Gulbene municipality (Latvia), Tukums municipality (Latvia), Taurage municipality (Lithuania), Tomelilla municipality (Sweden), and Wejherowo municipality (Poland). Using a benchmarking approach, the main challenges and opportunities of energy transition in the selected municipalities were identified, which could be used as signals in developing concrete municipal sustainability action plans.

Impact of regional trade integration and energy transition on natural resources footprints in Asian Countries

With the right policies and investments, regional trade integration and energy transition can offer a unique opportunity for economic development and environmental sustainability in Asian countries. Therefore, exploring the determinants of resource sustainability from unique perspectives is crucial. Hence, this study explores the role of regional trade integration, energy transition, and financial development on trade-adjusted resource footprints in selected Asian countries from 1990 to 2021 using Cross-Sectional Augmented Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) estimation strategy. The preliminary findings expose that cross-sections are heterogenous and the variables are cointegrated. The long-run estimates reveal that improvement in regional trade integration (across borders), and renewable energy transition reduce resource footprints. At the same time, economic growth, financial development, and industrialization contribute to higher resource consumption in the region. These findings are consistent across alternative estimators and recommend relevant policies.

The impact of industrial transformation and upgrading on fossil energy elasticity in China

This study aims to elucidate the profound implications of industrial transformation and upgrading in mitigating dependence on fossil fuels, which holds paramount significance in shaping energy transition strategies—an aspect that is currently missing in existing studies. Leveraging data spanning from 2000 to 2020, encompassing fossil energy consumption and economic development, this paper developed a second-order classification model as a new measure of energy elasticity. Comparing regional variations in fossil energy resilience, an in-depth analysis was conducted on four representative provinces to understand the evolution of their fossil energy consumption structures over time. Correlation analysis was employed to reveal the impact of industrial structures on the reduction of fossil energy dependence. The results indicate distinct spatial variations in the energy transition effect, with the southwest inland region retaining a pronounced reliance on fossil energy sources. However, approximately 80% of the provinces have made substantial progress in reducing fossil energy dependence from 2000 to 2020. Notably, the financial sector and the accommodation and catering industry contribute positively to mitigating fossil energy dependence, while the industrial sector exhibits the opposite effect. Urban agglomeration planning attributes the uneven regional energy transition to the delineation of urban industrial functions. Suggestions for narrowing the energy transition gap include measuring the sustainability of the industrial chain from a life-cycle perspective, avoiding the singular functional division of cities, and developing systematic policies. In the catering industry, adopting alternative cooking energy and implementing the conversion and recycling of catering waste can help prevent risks. This study underscores the positive role of the accommodation and catering industry in the energy transition, along with its potential risks. The study also makes efforts toward advancing the application of the widely used energy elasticity assessment method.

The impact of green finance on energy transition: Does climate risk matter?

With increased concerns regarding environmental deterioration and a growing understanding of the need for sustainable development, measures to promote energy transition (ET) have become a hot issue among academics and policymakers. In contrast to previous ET research, this study explores the impact of green finance (GF) on China's ET by considering the role of climate risk in the period from 2011 to 2020. Our results indicate that GF development has a significant impact which accelerates ET, and the effects are heterogenous, demonstrating that GF is more likely to be instrumental in driving ET in regions with more advanced socioeconomic circumstances and more favorable sustainable development environments. We also find that climate risk has a moderating role and a threshold effect on the GF–ET nexus is evident, indicating that climate risk has an unfavorable role in accelerating energy transformation. These findings offer valuable insights into advancing the sustainable ET and suggests that the government specifically prioritize the impact of climate risk in the development and deployment of a GF framework.

Strategies for energy transition and regional development in European post-coal mining regions: Ústí Region, Czechia, and Lusatia, Germany

Strategies for energy transition and regional development in European post-coal mining regions: Ústí Region, Czechia, and Lusatia, Germany

Energy transition: the future of energy on the base of smart specialization

Purpose. To justify the prerequisites of the energy transition as a necessary condition for the implementation of changes in the energy sector and the importance of the concept of smart specialization as a potential for generating investments for the implementation of measures within the framework of the energy transition. Methodology. The method for calculating the average annual rate of growth of renewable energy capacities was used. To substantiate the growth potential of investments in the energy transition in regions, the compound interest method was used, and an investment forecast was made based on the growth rates of foreign investments in Ukraine and the growth rate of global investments in low-carbon energy. Findings. The necessity of energy transition for Ukrainian energy industry is substantiated, and it is proposed to implement the policy of smart specialization for the implementation of energy changes. An example of coal-mining regions was considered, and attention was drawn to the importance of the development of the coal industry to ensure energy security, while the priority of the development of renewable energy sources was emphasized. Originality. The relationship between the implementation of the energy transition policy and the regional policy of smart specialization is substantiated, taking into account the provisions and content of modern regulatory acts on regional development and energy transition, as well as familiarizing with the experience of foreign countries. Practical value. The expediency of considering the issue of energy transition together with the implementation of the concept of smart specializations at the regional level is substantiated. This will make it possible to focus on energy sector to explore the prerequisites for the implementation of energy changes and to attract additional investments, taking into account the world experience of investing in low-carbon energy.

Long-term energy-environment-economic programming under carbon neutrality target: a study on China’s regional energy transition pathways and CO2 mitigation strategies

ABSTRACT Carbon neutrality is one of the key issues in mitigating global climate change. The carbon neutrality process accelerates the global energy transformation from fossil energy to renewable energy. Among the main indicators related to carbon neutrality proposed by the Chinese government, those directly related to energy include carbon emission intensity, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption, and the total installed capacity of wind and solar power generation. It can be seen that the transformation of energy development is crucial for realizing carbon neutrality. Meanwhile, the correlation between carbon neutrality and economic development is not antagonistic. On the contrary, carbon neutrality can not only enhance the quality and efficiency of traditional industries but also improve the overall development of society. Therefore, the coordinated and sustainable developments of the energy - economy- environment (3E) system is the priority for achieving the target of carbon neutrality. However, the impact of carbon neutrality on regional development requires long-term consideration, which increases the difficulties of comprehensive planning. In this study, a long-term comprehensive programming model of regional energy and economic development under carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets was established. A carbon neutrality assessment indicator (CNAI) framework was constructed to assess the effect of carbon neutrality actions in different regions. Meanwhile, a LEAP model was developed to simulate energy demand and carbon emissions. The multi-target weights determined by assessment results of CNAI and the parameters range set by LEAP model were the basis of the multi-objective optimization model to support regional development. Furthermore, the proposed method was applied to Shaanxi province in China, which offered quantitative targets and suggestions for energy structure transformation and industrial structure adjustment. The results show that coal and oil will account for 6.25% of the total energy consumption and the proportion of secondary industry will drop to 25.40% by 2060. The method established in this study provides a new scientific approach for resolving multi-objective trade-offs in long-term programming and determining a reasonable optimization range for regional development under climate mitigation policies.

Governance in socio-environmental research: an analysis of multi-stakeholder cooperation mechanisms in two research laboratories in Yucatan, Mexico

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the governance of socio-environmental research in two laboratories in Yucatan, Mexico, LANRESC and LENERSE, aiming to explore the operation of cooperation mechanisms involving multi-stakeholder interaction processes that support the generation of knowledge and the development of strategies to solve complex socio-environmental issues. The analytical-conceptual framework was that of complex associative systems, a governance approach focused on understanding associative efforts among heterogeneous stakeholders seeking to reach a common objective. The present research was based on two case studies from a comparative perspective. We found that both experiences have involved the development of relatively stable networks adapted to meet their objectives. However, the less conventional LANRESC research scheme has succeeded in producing more innovative structures and mechanisms to operate as non-scientific stakeholders and be recognized as a national laboratory. For their part, the mechanisms of research organization at LENERSE, being more traditional and technocentric in nature, have not been able to fully establish links with social and business actors to participate in the regional energy transition. In the case of LENERSE, the traditional and technocentric evaluation mechanisms in place have inhibited the establishment of links with social and business actors to influence energy transitioning in the region. In both cases, betting on inter- and trans-discipline will be essential for improving their contributions to solving problems such as climate change or oil depletion.

Effectiveness of the IoT in Regional Energy Transition: The Smart Bin Case Study

As part of the European Green Deal, the EU aims to become climate-neutral and reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Lignite has long dominated the electricity system of Greece, providing cheap and reliable energy, given the abundant and low-cost domestic resources at the cost of increased emission. In line with its national and international commitments to climate action, Greece needs to urgently transform its energy system and overcome its technological lock-ins, paving the way for a net-zero emission economy by the mid-century. The Internet of Things plays a significant role in this direction, providing with its technologies the protection of the environment and creating new jobs. The smart bins constitute an interesting proposal for areas in the energy transition. This research work reflects the current situation in the region of Western Macedonia and proposes the smart bin project as a part of the solution in the transition to the post-lignite era. For this purpose, survey research has been conducted in the municipalities of Greece on waste management technology.

The embeddedness of companies in regional energy transitions

ABSTRACT Both place-specific context conditions and the interplay of a variety of actors influence regional energy transitions. Yet, the role of regional lead companies and how they are embedded in regional transitions has not been systematically analysed, even though a lack of embeddedness in their geographical context could possibly impede transitions. In our contribution, we expand transition studies with insights from economic geography and sociology to grasp the embeddedness of regional lead companies in regional transitions along ten indicators. We analyse how intra-organizational and regional factors influence these indicators and the overall degree of embeddedness. Finally, we reflect on how the (dis)embeddedness of companies affects regional energy transitions. Empirically, our analysis is based on a most different case study design, comparing a wind turbine manufacturer and its detached relation to the energy transition around a city in Central Germany with a wind project developer deeply embedded in a rural Northern German district. These findings are mirrored not only in different embeddedness degrees, but also in different types of embeddedness that we term ‘transactional’ and ‘transformational’. By systematically describing the interrelation between organizations and regions, our contribution shows how multifaceted embeddedness is and how closely inner-organizational factors are intertwined with regional transitions.