Energy justice and policy change: An historical political analysis of the German nuclear phase-out. (15th October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McCauley, Darren; Brown, Antje; Rehner, Robert; Heffron, Raphael; van de Graaff, Shashi
• Is Part Of: Applied energy. Volume 228(2018)
• Page Start: 317
• Page End: 323
• Publication Date: 2018-10-15
• Subjects: Energy justice -- Historical institutionalism -- Policy analysis -- Policy change -- Nuclear energy; Power (Mechanics) -- Periodicals; Energy conservation -- Periodicals; Energy conversion -- Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.06.093
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-2619

Abstract

Highlights: Historical institutionalism is applied to energy justice for the first time. Critical junctures provide opportunity windows for policy actors to influence change. Chernobyl is identified as a critical juncture in German nuclear policy. Small businesses are a key driver of energy policy change. Abstract: The German government presented the decision to phase out nuclear energy as a nationally accepted rebalancing of inequality in the energy sector. We expose how this radical change was delivered through a myriad of change agents, most notably through the rise of small energy companies . Critical junctures, in this case the Chernobyl disaster rather than Fukushima, offer moments in time when national policy systems are destabilized. They provide opportunities for changing policy in a perceived pro-energy justice direction if a new consensus can be forged. The paper concludes with a discussion on how energy scholars must engage more with policy analysis frameworks if long-term effective solutions are to be found to persistent energy inequalities.