Renewable Energy Technology and Path Creation: A Multi-scalar Approach to Energy Transition in the UK

Abstract

This paper examines the potential contribution of UK regions for developing and deploying renewable energy technologies to achieve the government target of obtaining 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The paper argues for a multi-scalar approach to energy transition theory and policy. National-scale processes and policies need to be complemented by regional and local policies in order to discover and incorporate meso-level sources of renewable energy, recognize that niche or path creation is a geographically localized process and mobilize heterogeneous, local actors around common “regional energy visions” to improve implementation of renewable energy projects. After critically reviewing the main theoretical approach to energy transitions, the multi-level perspective, the paper employs patent data to describe the comparative position of UK regions in the renewable energy sector and examines the success of Danish, German and Spanish regions resulting from strong government intervention at the national level supplemented by region-specific strategies. A number of policy strengths and shortcomings are identified in the evolutionary trajectory of the UK energy system including weak technology push and policy pull factors. Finally, the paper reviews existing regional renewable energy policy and speculates on the potential impact of recent changes in spatial and energy policies on the ability to deploy and develop renewable energy sources in the UK.

Notes

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Japan, the USA and Korea are also major players in innovation and production of renewable energy sources, but in order to control for the impact of EU policies, the paper restricts the comparative analysis to EU countries.

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TL3 correspond with NUTS-3 regions in most countries (see Maraut et al., 2008 for more details). RETs include wind, solar thermal, solar PV, geothermal, marine and wave/tidal technologies.

Although there are other investment subsidies, the figure does not compare favourably with the €136 million invested in Navarra (a region of 500,000 people) between 1995 and 2004 (Fairless, 2007) or the $1.2 billion of subsidies provided by the German government for solar PV firms in East GE until 2008 (GTAI, 2009).

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“Wave hub is a marine testing facility whose first customer is Ocean Power Technologies and is complemented by the Peninsula Research Institute for Marine Renewable Energy, a centre of excellence delivering world-leading research, facilities and technology transfer in marine energy, excellent port infrastructure and an established supply chain in the South West of England” (www.wavehub.co.uk).

www.innovateuk.org/deliveringinnovaiton/technology-and-innovation-centres/offshore-renewable-energy.ashx (accessed 15 September 2011).

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/1631904.pdf