Print Email Facebook Twitter The geopolitics of renewables; exploring the political implications of renewable energy systems Title The geopolitics of renewables; exploring the political implications of renewable energy systems Author Scholten, D.J. (TU Delft Economics of Technology and Innovation) Bosman, Rick (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam) Date 2016 Abstract This paper explores the potential political implications of the geographic and technical characteristics of renewable energy systems. This is done through a thought experiment that imagines a purely renewable based energy system, keeping all else equal. We start by noting that all countries have access to some form of renewable energy, though some are better endowed than others. We find two major implications for renewable energy based markets: a) countries face a make or buy decision, i.e. they have a choice to produce or import energy; b) electricity is the dominant energy carrier, implying a more physically integrated infrastructure with stringent managerial requirements. Two scenarios illustrate the strategic concerns arising from these implications: Continental, following a buy decision and more centralized network, and National, following a make decision and more decentralized network. Three observations stand out compared to the geopolitics of an energy system based on fossil fuels. First, a shift in considerations from getting access to resources to strategic positioning in infrastructure management. Second, a shift in strategic leverage from producers to consumers and those countries being able to render balancing and storage services. Finally, the possibility for most countries to become a 'prosumer country' may greatly reduce any form of geopolitical concern. Subject GeopoliticsRenewable energy systemsThought experiment To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:e231a758-7a60-4845-93b3-1ae294ed0d1c DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.10.014 Embargo date 2017-12-03 ISSN 0040-1625 Source Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 103, 273-283 Bibliographical note online first Accepted 19 October 2015 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2016 D.J. Scholten, Rick Bosman Files PDF The_Geopolitics_of_Renewa ... tprint.pdf 581.69 KB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:e231a758-7a60-4845-93b3-1ae294ed0d1c/datastream/OBJ/view