This thesis researches the development of the internal debates within the German Social Democratic party concerning Russian gas in relation to the energy transition.
As a consequence of the energy crisis that followed the rapid post-pandemic recovery and the conflict in the Ukraine, many households faced increased energy bill. This led to an increased number of...Show moreAs a consequence of the energy crisis that followed the rapid post-pandemic recovery and the conflict in the Ukraine, many households faced increased energy bill. This led to an increased number of households to face energy poverty. With renewable energy sources being known for their relatively low cost, the promotion of a renewable energy industry could push down energy prices and reduce the financial pressure on households. This thesis seeks to explore what role the promotion of renewable energy has in de current energy crisis, or more specifically, this thesis seeks to answer the following research question: ““What role does the promotion of renewable energy, by means of green industrial policy, has in the energy crisis, and thus in the alleviation of energy poverty on household level?”. To answer this question, this thesis follows a grounded theory approach and analyses two cases; the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. To understand relation between policies on energy poverty and the promotion of renewable energy, a body of data was collected and analyzed consisting of expert interviews and documents. The results contribute to an understanding of how (green-) industrial policy could be used to actualize more locally oriented policy goals, such as poverty alleviation. This thesis found that the promotion of renewable energy does have the potential to contribute to energy poverty alleviation. However, due to the way in which the price of energy is set on the wholesale and the retail market for energy, this does not lead to any price reductions on the short term. Only major market reforms would allow consumers to benefit from the relatively low prices of renewables when fossil fuels are more expensive. This is why policymakers will be bound to more traditional ways of alleviating energy poverty. For example through financial compensation or through improving energy efficiency of residencies.Show less
The Paris Clime Agreement in 2015 and the subsequent European Deal have put considerable pressure on countries to quicken the pace of their renewable energy transition. To keep global warming under...Show moreThe Paris Clime Agreement in 2015 and the subsequent European Deal have put considerable pressure on countries to quicken the pace of their renewable energy transition. To keep global warming under 1,5 degrees Celcius and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49% by 2030, the Dutch government published the national Climate Agreement in 2019. This document shifts the responsibility to draw up and implement a Regional Energy Strategy (RES) to 30 designated regions. However, the process of the RES has exposed issues of social injustices caused by the energy transition, leading to protests, social unrest a decline in public support for policies in local communities. This social dimension of energy justice in the energy transition tends to be overlooked by scholars and policymakers. By integrating the notion of multi-level governance with the concept of energy justice and its three core tenets - procedural, distributional and recognition justice - this thesis develops a novel conceptual framework to fill this gap and analyse energy justice in the energy transition in the Achterhoek region in the Netherlands. It explores the research question: How do various stakeholders at different levels of governance address energy justice in the case of the Achterhoek region in the Netherlands? It finds that energy justice measures are relatively integrated across each level of governance, with a predominant focus on (financial) participation measures. Moreover, it finds that the context in which energy justice is shaped is highly dynamic in which stakeholders interact and influence each other across levels of governance through extensive policy networks. Rather than a static phenomenon that can be analysed in isolated spheres of governance, the current thesis emphasises the highly dynamic and multi-level nature of energy justice.Show less
