IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v139y2020ics030142152030118x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The EU's Clean Energy strategy for islands: A policy perspective on Malta's spatial governance in energy transition

Author

Listed:
  • Kotzebue, Julia R.
  • Weissenbacher, Manfred

Abstract

The European Union has more than 2200 inhabited islands. Many keep relying on fossil fuel-based energy systems, even though they are endowed with renewable energy resources (RES) and have access to gradually improving renewable energy technologies. In May 2017 the EU Commission and 14 member states with island territories signed the so-called “Valletta Declaration” in Malta's capital. The declaration states that islands can be favorable for innovative solutions and investments in local renewable energy production, given the abundance of various RES. However, the island nation of Malta features very low renewable energy shares within the EU. The Energy transition theory in the field of sustainable transition studies explains social and technological system-wide evolution and innovation, but only few scholars have focused on spatial governance in islands’ energy transition. Malta's urbanization rate is about 95%, which creates a spatially extreme situation. The policy perspective clarifies the role of spatial governance in Malta's energy transition from a fossil fuel-based to a non-fossil fuel-based country. A theoretical spatial governance framework guides the analysis. The perspective highlights that Malta's centralized and hierarchical spatial governance structure creates an environment, in which the spatial situation is used to argue against small and de-centralized renewable technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Kotzebue, Julia R. & Weissenbacher, Manfred, 2020. "The EU's Clean Energy strategy for islands: A policy perspective on Malta's spatial governance in energy transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:139:y:2020:i:c:s030142152030118x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111361
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030142152030118X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111361?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Godfrey A. Pirotta, 2001. "A Farewell to Paternalism through Public Enterprise? Privatization in the Small Island State of Malta," International Review of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 39-48, June.
    2. Bacchiocchi, Emanuele & Florio, Massimo & Taveggia, Giulia, 2015. "Asymmetric effects of electricity regulatory reforms in the EU15 and in the New Member States: Empirical evidence from residential prices 1990–2011," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 72-90.
    3. ., 1998. "Technological Change," Chapters, in: Heinz D. Kurz & Neri Salvadori (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Classical Economics, volume 0, chapter 127, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Fuenfschilling, Lea & Truffer, Bernhard, 2014. "The structuration of socio-technical regimes—Conceptual foundations from institutional theory," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 772-791.
    5. James Meadowcroft, 2009. "What about the politics? Sustainable development, transition management, and long term energy transitions," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 42(4), pages 323-340, November.
    6. Jesse Heley, 2013. "Soft Spaces, Fuzzy Boundaries and Spatial Governance in Post-devolution Wales," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 1325-1348, July.
    7. Julia R. Kotzebue, 2016. "The EU integrated urban development policy: managing complex processes in dynamic places," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(6), pages 1098-1117, June.
    8. Kotzebue, Julia R. & Bressers, Hans Th.A. & Yousif, Charles, 2010. "Spatial misfits in a multi-level renewable energy policy implementation process on the Small Island State of Malta," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5967-5976, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jarosław Brodny & Magdalena Tutak & Peter Bindzár, 2021. "Assessing the Level of Renewable Energy Development in the European Union Member States. A 10-Year Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-38, June.
    2. Giovanni Artale & Giuseppe Caravello & Antonio Cataliotti & Valentina Cosentino & Dario Di Cara & Salvatore Guaiana & Ninh Nguyen Quang & Marco Palmeri & Nicola Panzavecchia & Giovanni Tinè, 2020. "A Virtual Tool for Load Flow Analysis in a Micro-Grid," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-26, June.
    3. Andrea A. Eras-Almeida & Miguel A. Egido-Aguilera, 2020. "What Is Still Necessary for Supporting the SDG7 in the Most Vulnerable Contexts?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-28, September.
    4. Hannah Mareike Marczinkowski & Luísa Barros, 2020. "Technical Approaches and Institutional Alignment to 100% Renewable Energy System Transition of Madeira Island—Electrification, Smart Energy and the Required Flexible Market Conditions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-22, August.
    5. Yuting Feng & Tong Zhao, 2022. "Exploring the Nonlinear Relationship between Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth in the Context of Global Climate Change," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-17, November.
    6. Mohammad AlHashmi & Gyan Chhipi-Shrestha & Kh Md. Nahiduzzaman & Kasun Hewage & Rehan Sadiq, 2021. "Framework for Developing a Low-Carbon Energy Demand in Residential Buildings Using Community-Government Partnership: An Application in Saudi Arabia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-36, August.
    7. Dimitris Al. Katsaprakakis & Apostolos Michopoulos & Vasiliki Skoulou & Eirini Dakanali & Aggeliki Maragkaki & Stavroula Pappa & Ioannis Antonakakis & Dimitris Christakis & Constantinos Condaxakis, 2022. "A Multidisciplinary Approach for an Effective and Rational Energy Transition in Crete Island, Greece," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-49, April.
    8. Nikolas Schöne & Kathrin Greilmeier & Boris Heinz, 2022. "Survey-Based Assessment of the Preferences in Residential Demand Response on the Island of Mayotte," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-30, February.
    9. Anna Flessa & Dimitris Fragkiadakis & Eleftheria Zisarou & Panagiotis Fragkos, 2023. "Decarbonizing the Energy System of Non-Interconnected Islands: The Case of Mayotte," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-26, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Svensson, Oscar & Nikoleris, Alexandra, 2018. "Structure reconsidered: Towards new foundations of explanatory transitions theory," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 462-473.
    2. Sorrell, Steve, 2018. "Explaining sociotechnical transitions: A critical realist perspective," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(7), pages 1267-1282.
    3. Turnheim, Bruno & Nykvist, Björn, 2019. "Opening up the feasibility of sustainability transitions pathways (STPs): Representations, potentials, and conditions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 775-788.
    4. McMeekin, Andrew & Geels, Frank W. & Hodson, Mike, 2019. "Mapping the winds of whole system reconfiguration: Analysing low-carbon transformations across production, distribution and consumption in the UK electricity system (1990–2016)," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(5), pages 1216-1231.
    5. Truffer, Bernhard & Schippl, Jens & Fleischer, Torsten, 2017. "Decentering technology in technology assessment: prospects for socio-technical transitions in electric mobility in Germany," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 34-48.
    6. Canitez, Fatih, 2019. "Pathways to sustainable urban mobility in developing megacities: A socio-technical transition perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 319-329.
    7. Befort, N., 2020. "Going beyond definitions to understand tensions within the bioeconomy: The contribution of sociotechnical regimes to contested fields," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    8. Attila Havas & Doris Schartinger & K. Matthias Weber, 2022. "Innovation Studies, Social Innovation, and Sustainability Transitions Research: From mutual ignorance towards an integrative perspective?," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 2227, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    9. Simmons, Geoff & Giraldo, Jorge Esteban Diez & Truong, Yann & Palmer, Mark, 2018. "Uncovering the link between governance as an innovation process and socio-economic regime transition in cities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 241-251.
    10. Heiberg, Jonas & Truffer, Bernhard & Binz, Christian, 2022. "Assessing transitions through socio-technical configuration analysis – a methodological framework and a case study in the water sector," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).
    11. Nilsson, Måns & Nykvist, Björn, 2016. "Governing the electric vehicle transition – Near term interventions to support a green energy economy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 1360-1371.
    12. Pekkarinen, Satu & Melkas, Helinä, 2019. "Welfare state transition in the making: Focus on the niche-regime interaction in Finnish elderly care services," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 240-253.
    13. Kvellheim, Ann Kristin, 2017. "The power of buildings in climate change mitigation: The case of Norway," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 653-661.
    14. Zolfagharian, Mohammadreza & Walrave, Bob & Raven, Rob & Romme, A. Georges L., 2019. "Studying transitions: Past, present, and future," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    15. Royston, Sarah & Selby, Jan & Shove, Elizabeth, 2018. "Invisible energy policies: A new agenda for energy demand reduction," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 127-135.
    16. Smink, Magda & Negro, Simona O. & Niesten, Eva & Hekkert, Marko P., 2015. "How mismatching institutional logics hinder niche–regime interaction and how boundary spanners intervene," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 225-237.
    17. Fuenfschilling, Lea & Binz, Christian, 2017. "Global socio-technical regimes," Papers in Innovation Studies 2017/1, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    18. Batinge, Benjamin & Musango, Josephine Kaviti & Brent, Alan C., 2019. "Sustainable energy transition framework for unmet electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 1090-1099.
    19. Rogge, Karoline S. & Pfluger, Benjamin & Geels, Frank, 2017. "Transformative policy mixes in socio-technical scenarios: The case of the low-carbon transition of the German electricity system (2010-2050)," Working Papers "Sustainability and Innovation" S11/2017, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    20. Fuenfschilling, Lea & Truffer, Bernhard, 2016. "The interplay of institutions, actors and technologies in socio-technical systems — An analysis of transformations in the Australian urban water sector," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 298-312.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:139:y:2020:i:c:s030142152030118x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.