Understanding the material dimensions of the uneven deployment of renewable energy in two Italian regions

Laurentis, Carla De; Pearson, Peter J. G.

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2017.11.009

Cited by 16 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our review also highlights the need to better evaluate the materiality of energy, by which we mean examining how social, biophysical, and environmental systems interconnect and transform within and across energy systems. While this is an emerging theme within energy and resource geography (De Laurentis & Pearson, 2018;Fatimah & Arora, 2016;Kuchler & Bridge, 2018), more research is needed to better understand the coupled biophysical and political processes shaping and shaped by energy systems and how these processes vary within and across energy systems.…”

Section: Materializing Energymentioning

confidence: 99%

The evolving borderland of energy geographies

Baka

Vaishnava

2020

Geography Compass

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Energy geographers have characterized energy as a borderland topic because of its ability to straddle and interconnect different geographic concepts and debates. In this review, we evaluate how the borderland of energy geographies has been emerging in recent years by analyzing scholarship on energy published in top geography journals and a leading energy studies journal, Energy Research & Social Science. In part 1 of our review, we evaluate how the borderland of energy geographies is evolving by mapping the geographic range of empirical studies, the processes and types of energy systems being researched and the key geographic concepts/theories engaged across the four main sub‐fields of geography. We find that energy geographies scholarship has primarily centered on the Global North, remains focused on the extractive and production phase of energy development and is evolving across and within three of the four sub‐fields of geography. Energy transitions, governance, justice, space, and landscape are key topics and concepts examined. Notable underrepresentations include a relative lack of energy geographies scholarship within physical geography, as well as limited studies that engage geographic concepts to study the transportation sector, unconventional energy development and the food‐energy‐water nexus. In part 2, we identify three broad research themes to expand the frontier of energy geographies: (a) geographies of energy knowledge production, particularly indigenous knowledge; (b) materializing energy, especially through engaging political‐industrial ecology; and (c) advancing geographic thought by critically assessing how studying energy advances/challenges/transforms core geographic concepts and debates. Collectively, our review demonstrates that energy geographies have established firm footing within and across geography. Deepening engagement with emerging trends elsewhere in geography and the social sciences will not only help to better conceptualize what a geographic perspective on energy means but will also help to make clearer sense of the rapid economic, social, environmental, and political transformations currently underway within the global energy system.

show abstract

Section: Materializing Energymentioning

confidence: 99%

The evolving borderland of energy geographies

Baka

Vaishnava

2020

Geography Compass

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Research has highlighted the central role of institutional variations as foundations for geographical differences in the adoption of RE (Hansen and Coenen, 2015;Truffer et al, 2015). This paper contends that these contributions can be enhanced by stressing the in uence that socio-material forms of energy exert on energy infrastructure and its governance (De Laurentis and Pearson, 2018;Bridge et al, 2018;Kuzemko et al, 2016), focusing on RE deployment at the regional level.…”

Section: Examining Regional Differences In Re Implementation: the Matmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…This paper suggests that RE deployment processes and their spatial unevenness can be better understood by analysing the socio-material dimensions of RE (following De Laurentis and Pearson (2018)), as these socio-material forms can structure the many ways in which local and regional actors engage with energy systems, ows and infrastructures in order to meet particular goals. Research has highlighted the central role of institutional variations as foundations for geographical differences in the adoption of RE (Hansen and Coenen, 2015;Truffer et al, 2015).…”

Section: Examining Regional Differences In Re Implementation: the Matmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This approach builds upon the analysis of materiality originally developed for the extractive industries, including fossil fuels (Bakker and Bridge, 2006;Kaup, 2008;Kaup, 2014;Bridge and Bradshaw, 2017) and discussed in relation to RE in De Laurentis and Pearson (2018). The deployment of RE, the process of turning renewable 'natural resources' into viable forms of energy through stages of energy conversion, storage, transmission and distribution has material aspects like those involved in fossil fuel deployment.…”

Section: Examining Regional Differences In Re Implementation: the Matmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…De Laurentis and Pearson (2018) identi ed three 'socio-material dimensions' of RE, positing that these both directly in uence RE deployment potential and help understand how, through political-economic and cultural processes, apparently 'physical' RE resources come to be socially constructed as exploitable energy resources (cf. Calvert, 2015).…”

Section: Examining Regional Differences In Re Implementation: the Matmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Understanding the spatial unevenness of regional renewable energy deployment: insights for policy design

Laurentis¹,

Pearson²

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background This paper suggests that renewable energy (RE) deployment processes and their spatial unevenness can be explained by analysing the socio-material dimensions of RE. It explains how particular regional RE paths come to be favoured or hampered, and identifies factors that have contributed to these different outcomes. The paper shows the merit of investigating regional agency in energy research. Methods Using a novel analytical framework, the research performs a comparative case study analysis of selected regions in Italy and the UK, drawing on data obtained via documentary analysis and extensive in-depth interviews. Results The factors that explain regional variation in RE deployment are highlighted, providing evidence of how the distinctive features of RE deployment in five different regions arose and could be identified. The paper shows that understanding the socio-material dimensions of RE offers opportunities to understand the spatial unevenness of RE deployment at the regional levels and how to address it. While some regions have managed to successfully align their strategies and governance in order to maximise their RE potential, others have been less effective. The key features that influence the pace and direction of RE deployment at the regional level are i) the ways in which targets and resource availability are seen as drivers for RE deployment, ii) the degree of political autonomy in planning and the capacity to facilitate consenting processes at sub-regional levels, iii) the political will for RE expansion, elite consensus and the presence of relevant industry actors, and iv) the participation and involvement of regional government, even in the absence of formal regulatory powers, in shaping essential energy infrastructure investment. Conclusion While institutional capacity, planning and governance, the variety of actors and interests, compelling visions and credible expectations are all necessary prerequisites for coherent policy outcomes, the effects and degree of success can vary. This variance is influenced by the peculiarities and specificities of the regional contexts in which RE projects emerge. By identifying which aspects tend to constrain or enable RE deployment at the regional level, the paper helps to reveal the policy challenges that emerge and how they might be addressed.

show abstract

Proximities of energy justice: contesting community energy and austerity in England

Lacey-Barnacle

2020

Energy Research & Social Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Highlights Novel application of four energy justice tenets to energy decentralisation. Analyses interplay between deprivation, geography and community-led transitions. Empirical data links spatial (in)justice to low-carbon infrastructure siting. Shows how energy transitions can assist deprived communities in regeneration plans. Highlights benefits of ‘active participant’ approach to community energy engagement.

show abstract

Understanding the material dimensions of the uneven deployment of renewable energy in two Italian regions

Cited by 16 publications

References 45 publications

The evolving borderland of energy geographies

The evolving borderland of energy geographies

Understanding the spatial unevenness of regional renewable energy deployment: insights for policy design

Proximities of energy justice: contesting community energy and austerity in England

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About