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Energies
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Economic and Technological Advances Shaping the Energy Transition
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Economic and Technological Advances Shaping the Energy Transition

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "C: Energy Economics and Policy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 1132

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jacek Kamiński

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Guest Editor
Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-261 Kraków, Poland
Interests: power system economics; energy markets; energy and climate policy; energy transition; energy planning; mathematical modeling; decision support systems; optimization of power systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pablo Benalcazar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-261 Kraków, Poland
Interests: mathematical modeling; optimization; combined heat and power; district heating; energy system planning and operation; distributed energy systems; energy management systems; power system economics; sustainable energy transitions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Przemysław Kaszyński

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-261 Kraków, Poland
Interests: energy markets; energy system planning and operation; district heating systems; energy management systems; energy economics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global energy transition is entering a critical stage as climate objectives, geopolitical dynamics, and economic pressures accelerate the need for profound structural change. Policy frameworks such as the European Green Deal highlight ambitious targets for emissions reduction and climate neutrality, requiring coordinated action across energy markets, industry, and public institutions. At the same time, volatility in energy prices, investment demands, and regulatory uncertainty pose significant economic challenges for stakeholders navigating this transformation.

Parallel to these developments, rapid technological progress is reshaping energy systems through expanding renewable energy, smart grids, energy storage, and low-carbon transport solutions. While these innovations create substantial opportunities for efficiency and decarbonization, their deployment varies across regions and sectors, resulting in uneven transition trajectories and differing technological readiness levels.

In this Special Issue, we focus on the interaction between economic conditions and technological innovation in shaping the pace, effectiveness, and equity of the energy transition. We invite contributions examining analytical frameworks, policy instruments, emerging technologies, and systemic changes that support the development of resilient, sustainable, and economically viable energy systems.

Contribution topics:

  • Energy transition;
  • Energy economics;
  • Energy market dynamics and integration;
  • Climate and energy policy instruments;
  • Power generation system transformation;
  • Intelligent power systems and district heating networks;
  • Demand-side management and energy storage solutions;
  • Artificial intelligence in energy modelling and system optimization;
  • Innovative energy system architectures;
  • Advanced energy storage technologies;
  • Energy efficiency strategies and implementation;
  • Renewable energy development and deployment;
  • Low- and zero-emission transportation systems;
  • Smart grid technologies and applications.

Prof. Dr. Jacek Kamiński
Dr. Pablo Benalcazar
Dr. Przemysław Kaszyński
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable and resilient energy systems
  • energy transition
  • energy policy
  • energy economics
  • energy markets
  • energy security
  • power systems
  • smart grids
  • demand-side management
  • distributed energy resources
  • energy storage technologies
  • renewable energy systems
  • energy efficiency
  • low- and zero-emission transport
  • electrification of mobility and industry
  • artificial intelligence in energy modelling

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 626 KB  
Article
Deliberative–Polycentric Governance for the Energy Transition Trilemma: The Case of Heat Pumps
by Olga Janikowska, Natalia Generowicz-Caba and Joanna Kulczycka
Energies 2026, 19(10), 2404; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19102404 - 16 May 2026
Viewed by 174
Abstract
This study explores the potential of deliberative and polycentric governance models to address the complex challenges of the energy transition trilemma, balancing energy security, environmental sustainability, and energy equity. The article aims to develop an integrated deliberative–polycentric framework for managing the energy transition [...] Read more.
This study explores the potential of deliberative and polycentric governance models to address the complex challenges of the energy transition trilemma, balancing energy security, environmental sustainability, and energy equity. The article aims to develop an integrated deliberative–polycentric framework for managing the energy transition trilemma and to illustrate its implementation relevance through an applied example of heat pump deployment. The analysis primarily draws on evidence and examples from Europe and the United States, reflecting the regions most frequently discussed in the reviewed literature and policy materials. Drawing on an extensive literature review and desk-based analysis, the research adopts a non-empirical, theory-building approach grounded in interpretive policy analysis. The study synthesizes insights from scholarly works and policy documents to construct an integrated analytical framework. It argues that hybrid governance, merging the inclusivity and transparency of deliberative democracy with the flexibility and redundancy of polycentric systems—can enhance legitimacy, adaptability, and effectiveness in energy policymaking. Through thematic synthesis, key governance principles are identified, including multilevel coordination, stakeholder participation, transparency, and justice. The findings highlight that the synergy between deliberation and polycentricity offers a promising path toward more resilient, participatory, and just energy systems, while acknowledging the implementation challenges of such models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic and Technological Advances Shaping the Energy Transition)
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43 pages, 4968 KB  
Article
Nonlinear Dynamics and Spatial Correlation Pattern of the Digital Economy on Energy Efficiency: Evidence from Ensemble Learning and Spatio-Temporal Graph Neural Network
by Rui Cao, Chenjun Zhang, Xiangyang Zhao and Yanan Deng
Energies 2026, 19(9), 2223; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19092223 - 4 May 2026
Viewed by 222
Abstract
Achieving synergy between the digital economy and energy efficiency is pivotal for realizing high-quality development under the “Dual Carbon” targets. However, traditional econometric methods struggle to capture the complex nonlinear and spatio-temporal dependencies inherent in this relationship. To address this issue, this study [...] Read more.
Achieving synergy between the digital economy and energy efficiency is pivotal for realizing high-quality development under the “Dual Carbon” targets. However, traditional econometric methods struggle to capture the complex nonlinear and spatio-temporal dependencies inherent in this relationship. To address this issue, this study develops a two-stage framework using Chinese provincial panel data. It combines LightGBM/CatBoost and SHAP for critical factor identification, and employs STGNN for capturing nonlinear and spatial correlation patterns, to systematically decode the driving mechanisms of the digital economy on energy efficiency. The results reveal three key findings: (1) Complex Nonlinearity: The impact manifests in distinct U-shaped, inverted U-shaped, and weak correlation patterns, accompanied by significant spatial clustering. (2) Structural Heterogeneity: The dimensions of the digital economy show differential associations with energy efficiency. Industrial digitization and infrastructure are associated with more direct improvements in efficiency, whereas digital industrialization functions primarily through indirect technological supply. (3) Spatial Correlation Pattern: Higher levels of digital development correspond to higher local energy efficiency and are linked to positive predicted adjustments in neighboring regions, with notable regional heterogeneity. Combining machine learning-based feature selection with deep learning-based spatiotemporal modeling provides a scientific basis for formulating location-specific digital economy strategies and coordinated energy-saving policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic and Technological Advances Shaping the Energy Transition)
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37 pages, 4573 KB  
Article
Decoding the Energy-Economy-Carbon Nexus: A TFT-ASTGCN Deep Learning Approach for Spatiotemporal Carbon Forecasting in the Yellow River Basin, China
by Yuanyi Hu, Chenjun Zhang, Xiangyang Zhao and Shiyu Mao
Energies 2026, 19(8), 1950; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19081950 - 17 Apr 2026
Viewed by 310
Abstract
This study systematically examines the low-carbon transition challenges faced by the Yellow River Basin, a core strategic energy base in China with a coal-dominated energy system, under the dual carbon goals. Existing studies based on traditional econometric models or single-province analyses are mostly [...] Read more.
This study systematically examines the low-carbon transition challenges faced by the Yellow River Basin, a core strategic energy base in China with a coal-dominated energy system, under the dual carbon goals. Existing studies based on traditional econometric models or single-province analyses are mostly limited to static analysis, failing to simultaneously capture the nonlinear spatiotemporal evolution, cross-regional spillover effects, and long-term changing trends of carbon emissions in the basin. To fill this gap, this study builds an Energy–Economy–Carbon (EEC) analytical framework, and develops an integrated TFT-ASTGCN deep learning framework. Specifically, we employ the Temporal Fusion Transformer (TFT) for high-precision multivariate time-series simulation and peak forecasting, while the Attention-based Spatial–Temporal Graph Convolutional Network (ASTGCN) is used to identify complex spatial dependencies of inter-provincial emissions. The empirical results confirm that: (1) Basin carbon emissions show significant coal-driven carbon lock-in, with initial decoupling between economic growth and emissions. (2) Most provinces will maintain rising emissions under the current development mode, posing severe challenges to carbon peaking. (3) Asymmetric spatial spillover effects are prominent, underscoring cross-regional collaborative governance as a critical pathway for achieving an early and stable carbon peak in the basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic and Technological Advances Shaping the Energy Transition)
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