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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2021) | Viewed by 25453

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Christopher A. Simon

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Department of Political Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
Interests: alternative energy policy; civic community and volunteerism; education policy; criminal justice policy; homeland security policy; land use policy; public administration; international development aid policy; military sociology
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Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Alternative energy covers a broad spectrum of energy sources ranging from renewables to nuclear energy. Economic, political, and social factors play a tremendous role in the feasibility of alternative energy. The Special Issue invites papers that not only identify the economic, political, and social factors shaping (or impeding) commitment to alternative energy sources but also seek to identify practical and needed institutional (economic, political, and social) reforms and policy changes to demonstrably improve progress towards an alternative energy future. Papers focusing on social and economic justice aspects of alternative energy use are encouraged. The Special Issue invites papers using a broad range of methods—quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, interpretative design, and critical theory methodologies.

Prof. Dr. Christopher A. Simon
Guest Editor

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Keywords

alternative energy
sustainability
economics
energy and society
politics/policy and energy
energy justice

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 570 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Explanations for Wind Turbine Installations: Local and Global Environmental Concerns in the Central Corridor of the United States?

by John C. Pierce, Rachel M. Krause, Sarah L. Hofmeyer and Bonnie J. Johnson

Energies 2021, 14(18), 5830; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14185830 - 15 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2191

Abstract

Even where physical conditions appear perfectly suited for wind power production, there is significant variation in the number of turbines installed. This pattern suggests that physical conditions are a pre-requisite for, but not a determinant of, that production. This study reports the results of an analysis of the county-level correlates of wind power installations in the north–south corridor of the central United States, which contains much of the country’s greatest land-based wind resources. This study focuses on the relative effects of social capital, global climate change concern, and local biodiversity, while controlling for other potential explanations that previous research has identified as leading to support for or to opposition to turbine installation. We find (1) that greater local biodiversity is associated with fewer turbine installations; (2) that the percent of the public who believe humans are causing climate change is not associated with the number of installed turbines; and (3) that a higher degree of county-level social capital is associated with fewer installations. These findings suggest the predominance of local considerations over global ones when it comes to the actual siting of turbines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Energy Policy)

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16 pages, 2648 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Vision for Energy Decarbonization: Planning Sustainable Tertiary Sites as Net-Zero Energy Systems

by Marc Richter, Pio Lombardi, Bartlomiej Arendarski, André Naumann, Andreas Hoepfner, Przemyslaw Komarnicki and Antonio Pantaleo

Energies 2021, 14(17), 5577; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14175577 - 6 Sep 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2742

Abstract

The power system is changing towards a decarbonized one. The Kyoto protocol and the Paris climate agreement have prompted many nations to approve energy policies based on volatile renewable energy sources (RESs). However, the integration into the grid of the power generated by RESs as well as the electrification of the heating, gas and transportation sectors is becoming a huge challenge. Planning industrial and tertiary sites as net-zero energy systems (NZESs) might contribute to advance the solutions of fully integrating volatile RESs into the power system. This study aims to point out the importance of planning large energy consumer sites such as NZESs, and to depict a holistic modeling approach for this. The methodology is based on a multi-layer approach, which focuses on on-site power generation by RESs, on the improvement of energy efficiency, and on the increase of system flexibility. A qualitative case study has been conducted. It considers the planning of a Net-Zero Energy Data Center located in Germany. Results point out that new interdisciplinary and in particular social analysis methods are necessary. They might be used for accelerating the decision making process during the planning of RES-based on-site power generation systems. Besides, for computation and cooling systems, new technologies that are continuously emerging in the market should be taken into account. If well designed, they contribute to significantly decrease the whole energy demand of data center. Finally, optimal sizing of energy storage systems (electric and thermal) as well as an expedient choice of performance indicators to evaluate technology options are identified as the key factor for decreasing the external energy demand of tertiary sites, such as data center. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Energy Policy)

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19 pages, 4111 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Comparative Study of Pricing Mechanisms to Reduce Side-Payments in the Electricity Market: A Case Study for South Korea

by Hansol Shin, Tae Hyun Kim, Kyuhyeong Kwag and Wook Kim

Energies 2021, 14(12), 3395; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14123395 - 9 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2965

Abstract

Under marginal-cost pricing, some generators cannot recover their production costs at the market price due to non-convexities in the electricity market. For this reason, most electricity markets pay side-payments to generators whose costs are not sufficiently recovered, but side-payments present the problem of deteriorating transparency in the market. Recently, convex hull pricing and extended locational marginal pricing have been reviewed or gradually introduced to reduce side-payments. Another method is to include non-convex costs in the market price, which is applied in the Korean electricity market. Although it is not generally considered in the electricity market, the Vickrey auction method is also one of the pricing mechanisms that can reduce side-payments. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the financial impact of these alternative pricing mechanisms on market participants through rigorous simulation. We applied the alternative pricing schemes to the Korean electricity market, and the impacts are analyzed by comparing the cost aspect of an electricity sales company and the profit aspect of generation companies. As a result of the simulation study, each pricing mechanism not only differed in the degree to which side-payments are reduced but also has different effects on the type of generators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Energy Policy)

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24 pages, 1766 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Comparative Analysis of Carbon Capture and Storage Finance Gaps and the Social Cost of Carbon

by Amanda Harker Steele, Travis Warner, Derek Vikara, Allison Guinan and Peter Balash

Energies 2021, 14(11), 2987; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14112987 - 21 May 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4070

Abstract

This paper evaluates how changes in economic market and policy conditions, including the establishment of a per-unit tax on unabated emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) set equal to estimates of the social cost of carbon (SCC), influence the economics of carbon capture and storage (CCS) for two hypothetical power generation facilities located in the United States. Data are provided from modified versions of models and resources created and managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Changes in economic market and policy conditions are evaluated over a series of scenarios in which differences in the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) provide estimates of the financial gap necessary to overcome for CCS to be considered the cost-minimizing choice for each power generation facility type considered. Results suggest that for the coal and natural gas power generation facilities considered, a per-unit tax set equal to an SCC exceeding $123 per metric ton of CO₂ (/tCO₂) emitted (2018 dollars) and $167/tCO₂ emitted, respectively, in combination with current Section 45Q tax credits, yields investment in CCS as the cost-minimizing choice; SCC values as low as $58/tCO₂ and $98/tCO₂ can make CCS the cost-minimizing choice with additional support policies (e.g., free transportation and storage options). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Energy Policy)

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17 pages, 872 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Concept of Safety Management in the Electromobility Development Strategy

by Katarzyna Chruzik and Marzena Graboń-Chałupczak

Energies 2021, 14(9), 2482; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14092482 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1867

Abstract

Safety monitoring provides the detection of changes in systems or operations that may suggest any case of approaching a point close to exceeding the acceptable safety standards and indicates whether corrective/prevention actions have been taken. Safety information should be maintained within the scope of transport undertakings to ensure safety and be communicated to all responsible staff, depending on each person’s function in the processes. Regulatory authorities should continuously monitor the implementation of safety management processes and the processes performed by road transport service providers. Safety management, therefore, requires investment in development and modernisation to meet market needs resulting from the mobility of residents, the growth of transport, and the obligations of countries resulting from the transport and environmental policy pursued by the European Union. Along with changes in the transport system, a need to assess their significance for the transport system’s safety arises. Depending on the transport mode (rail, air, water, road), the scope of standardised requirements is quite different each time. The paper analyses the legal requirements and acceptable practices for assessing the significance of the change in all transport modes and develops a standard method for assessing the significance of the change that meets all the requirements of electromobility safety management systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Energy Policy)

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16 pages, 290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Economic to Extrinsic Values of Sustainable Energy: Prestige, Neo-Rentierism, and Geopolitics of the Energy Transition in the Arabian Peninsula

by Mohammad Al-Saidi

Energies 2020, 13(21), 5545; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13215545 - 22 Oct 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3604

Abstract

Energy transition in the region of the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) has recently commenced and is now being implemented through large-scale renewable projects, nuclear plants, and energy efficiency measures in the built environment. This paper highlights how alternative energies are associated with non-economic factors such as prestige, modernity, and (soft or symbolic) power. It analyzes the specific ways of delivering energy diversification in the Gulf through renewable megaprojects, the reorganization of the energy sector, and the incorporation of nuclear energy as an add-on source. These decisions serve GCC states in showcasing modernity, maintaining centralized control, posturing geopolitically, and extending the rent distribution mechanisms. On one hand, the energy transition in the Gulf has been domesticated through policies and strategies suiting the political systems in the region. This can have an acceleration effect on this transition. On the other hand, the implications of the adaptation of the energy transition to the reality of the Gulf remain open. The success of this transition will depend on the ability of GCC states to ecologically modernize the Gulf societies, reduce environmental risks, and enhance GCC-wide cooperation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Energy Policy)

16 pages, 766 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Policy Paralysis in Australia: Energy Security, Energy Poverty and Jobs

by Saleem H. Ali, Kamila Svobodova, Jo-Anne Everingham and Mehmet Altingoz

Energies 2020, 13(18), 4894; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13184894 - 18 Sep 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6372

Abstract

According to the 2020 Climate Change Performance Index, Australia was ranked as the worst-performing country on climate change policy. The country has an ambivalent record of climate policy development as well as implementation, and has been criticized for its inaction. This paper considers why the country has been locked in climate policy “paralysis” through analyzing defining attributes of such a paralysis, and the tentative connections between domestic energy policies and international trade and development. We conducted a media content analysis of 222 articles and identified media narratives in three cases of energy projects in the country involving thermal coal exports, domestic renewable energy storage, and closure of a domestic coal power station. The analysis reveals that policy paralysis in Australian climate change policy can be traced back to the countervailing arguments that have been pervasive around domestic energy security, rural employment and international energy poverty. The political establishment has struggled to develop a sustainable consensus on climate change and the citizenry remains polarized. We also discuss how a “focusing event,” such as a major natural disaster can break the impasse but this is only possible if energy security at home, energy poverty abroad and employment imperatives across the board are clearly delineated, measured and prioritized. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Energy Policy)

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