Political and Social Divisions Over the Energy Issue

Abstract

Political parties, interest groups as well as ordinary citizens play a central role in regulating and implementing more sustainable energy production and consumption. Whereas left wing and green parties, ENGOs and the renewable energy industry generally push towards an energy mix that mostly relies on renewables, utilities, center-right parties and industry tend to care more about low energy prices. This panel focuses on these diverse actors’ attitudes towards an energy transitions. More precisely, we are interested in factors that drive these actors’ attitudes towards the transformation of the energy system. With the included papers, the panel looks at these attitudes from different perspectives and in various contexts: The paper of Schmid et al. investigates the co-evolution of technological change and actors’ attitudes, here already elected MPs, in Germany. Dermont et al. take a step back, identify political candidates’ attitudes towards a nuclear phase-out, and determine whether the energy issue actually matters in elections. Byskov Lindberg then innovatively centers on the EU level and assesses the diverse attitudes of corporate stakeholders regarding renewable energy and emission trading schemes. With these multifaceted perspectives on the energy issue and rigorous methodological approaches, this panel sheds light on where actual obstacles for an energy transition are situated and how they can be overcome.