Barriers to the diffusion of renewable energy in Queensland

ABSTRACT

This research was presented at the Sustainable Economic Growth in Regional Australia Conference (SEGRA), in Albany, Western Australia, October 2016. Renewable energy (RE) is needed for the low-carbon future envisioned in the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. This article comparatively evaluates the RE performance of two states in Australia to show how government policies affect energy transitions. The “complex systems” perspective is used as a theoretical lens and it elucidates the constraints to RE transitions. Ambitious targets at state level and sustained political support are required to overcome the multi-dimensional barriers to RE transitions. However, given the complexity of the energy system, it is argued that governments should pursue collaborative efforts across states and with various stakeholders to avoid conflicts, while addressing concerns about rising electricity prices and energy security if the much needed decarbonisation of the electricity sector is to take place.

KEYWORDS:

• Climate change
• renewable energy targets
• systems theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors .

ORCID

Lynne Eagle http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9385-7772