Abstract
Technology costs and deployment rates, represented in experience curves, are typically seen as the main factors in the global clean energy transition from fossil fuels towards low-carbon energy sources. We argue that politics is the hidden dimension of technology experience curves, as it affects both costs and deployment. We draw from empirical analyses of diverse North American and European cases to describe patterns of political conflict surrounding clean energy adoption across a variety of technologies. Our analysis highlights that different political logics shape costs and deployment at different stages along the experience curve. The political institutions and conditions that nurture new technologies into economic winners are not always the same conditions that let incumbent technologies become economic losers. Thus, as the scale of technology adoption moves from niches towards systems, new political coalitions are necessary to push complementary system-wide technology. Since the cost curve is integrated globally, different countries can contribute to different steps in the transition as a function of their individual comparative political advantages.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 492-522 |
| Number of pages | 31 |
| Journal | Business and Politics |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2018 |
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Keywords
- climate change
- energy
- energy transition
- experience curves
- technology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Industrial relations
- Political Science and International Relations
Cite this
The political logics of clean energy transitions. / Breetz, Hanna; Mildenberger, Matto; Stokes, Leah.
In: Business and Politics, Vol. 20, No. 4, 01.12.2018, p. 492-522.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The political logics of clean energy transitions
AU - Breetz, Hanna
AU - Mildenberger, Matto
AU - Stokes, Leah
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - Technology costs and deployment rates, represented in experience curves, are typically seen as the main factors in the global clean energy transition from fossil fuels towards low-carbon energy sources. We argue that politics is the hidden dimension of technology experience curves, as it affects both costs and deployment. We draw from empirical analyses of diverse North American and European cases to describe patterns of political conflict surrounding clean energy adoption across a variety of technologies. Our analysis highlights that different political logics shape costs and deployment at different stages along the experience curve. The political institutions and conditions that nurture new technologies into economic winners are not always the same conditions that let incumbent technologies become economic losers. Thus, as the scale of technology adoption moves from niches towards systems, new political coalitions are necessary to push complementary system-wide technology. Since the cost curve is integrated globally, different countries can contribute to different steps in the transition as a function of their individual comparative political advantages.
AB - Technology costs and deployment rates, represented in experience curves, are typically seen as the main factors in the global clean energy transition from fossil fuels towards low-carbon energy sources. We argue that politics is the hidden dimension of technology experience curves, as it affects both costs and deployment. We draw from empirical analyses of diverse North American and European cases to describe patterns of political conflict surrounding clean energy adoption across a variety of technologies. Our analysis highlights that different political logics shape costs and deployment at different stages along the experience curve. The political institutions and conditions that nurture new technologies into economic winners are not always the same conditions that let incumbent technologies become economic losers. Thus, as the scale of technology adoption moves from niches towards systems, new political coalitions are necessary to push complementary system-wide technology. Since the cost curve is integrated globally, different countries can contribute to different steps in the transition as a function of their individual comparative political advantages.
KW - climate change
KW - energy
KW - energy transition
KW - experience curves
KW - technology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058299879&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85058299879&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/bap.2018.14
DO - 10.1017/bap.2018.14
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85058299879
VL - 20
SP - 492
EP - 522
JO - Business and Politics
JF - Business and Politics
SN - 1469-3569
IS - 4
ER -