IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v7y2014i9p5601-5623d39668.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Global Surge in Energy Innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Aidan Rhodes

    (Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, 13 Princes Gardens, London SW7 1NA, UK)

  • Jim Skea

    (Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, 13 Princes Gardens, London SW7 1NA, UK)

  • Matthew Hannon

    (Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, 13 Princes Gardens, London SW7 1NA, UK)

Abstract

Policymakers are seeking a transformation of the energy system driven by concerns about climate change, energy security and affordability. At the same time, emerging developments in underpinning science and engineering are opening up new possibilities across the whole technology spectrum covering renewables and other supply side technologies, energy demand and energy infrastructure. This paper reviews both the “policy pull” for energy innovation activities and the “science and technology push”. It explores the expectations of a variety of organisations in both the public and private sector regarding these pressures and possibilities by assessing various scenarios and outlook exercises that have been published since 2013. It reveals a wide range of beliefs about the future development of the energy system. The paper then moves on to analyse private sector expenditure on energy research and development (R&D) and public sector budgets for energy R&D and demonstration (RD&D). This analysis demonstrates significant divergences in patterns of innovation between the private and public sectors and leads to the hypothesis that the private sector is, broadly, taking measures to reinforce the existing energy paradigm while the public sector is focusing on new energy technologies that support wider policy objectives. This pattern is consistent with past technological transitions, with innovation efforts that would transform the energy system being counteracted by countervailing efforts that reinforce the existing fossil fuel-based paradigm.

Suggested Citation

  • Aidan Rhodes & Jim Skea & Matthew Hannon, 2014. "The Global Surge in Energy Innovation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-23, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:7:y:2014:i:9:p:5601-5623:d:39668
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/7/9/5601/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/7/9/5601/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Freeman, Chris & Louca, Francisco, 2002. "As Time Goes By: From the Industrial Revolutions to the Information Revolution," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199251056.
    2. Frank W. Geels, 2005. "Technological Transitions and System Innovations," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3576.
    3. McGowan, Francis, 1989. "The single energy market and energy policy: conflicting agendas?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 547-553, December.
    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. Tomasz Kijek & Arkadiusz Kijek & Piotr Bolibok & Anna Matras-Bolibok, 2021. "The Patterns of Energy Innovation Convergence across European Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.
    2. Tony Addison, 2018. "Climate change and the extractives sector," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-84, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Shinwari, Riazullah & Yangjie, Wang & Payab, Ahmad Haseeb & Kubiczek, Jakub & Dördüncü, Hazar, 2022. "What drives investment in renewable energy resources? Evaluating the role of natural resources volatility and economic performance for China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    4. Ewa Chomać-Pierzecka & Joanna Rogozińska-Mitrut & Monika Różycka & Dariusz Soboń & Jacek Stasiak, 2023. "Energy Innovation for Individual Consumers in Poland—Analysis of Potential and Evaluation of Practical Applications in Selected Areas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-21, August.
    5. Robertson Munro, Fiona & Cairney, Paul, 2020. "A systematic review of energy systems: The role of policymaking in sustainable transitions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    6. Tony Addison, 2018. "Climate change and the extractives sector," WIDER Working Paper Series 84, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Jonas Sonnenschein, 2016. "Understanding indicator choice for the assessment of research, development, and demonstration financing of low-carbon energy technologies: Lessons from the Nordic countries," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-48, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Egusquiza, A. & Ginestet, S. & Espada, J.C. & Flores-Abascal, I. & Garcia-Gafaro, C. & Giraldo-Soto, C. & Claude, S. & Escadeillas, G., 2021. "Co-creation of local eco-rehabilitation strategies for energy improvement of historic urban areas," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    9. Jonas Sonnenschein, 2016. "Understanding indicator choice for the assessment of research, development, and demonstration financing of low-carbon energy technologies: Lessons from the Nordic countries," WIDER Working Paper Series 048, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Christopher A. Scott & Zachary P. Sugg, 2015. "Global Energy Development and Climate-Induced Water Scarcity—Physical Limits, Sectoral Constraints, and Policy Imperatives," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-15, August.

    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. Konstantin Fursov & Ian Miles, 2013. "Framing Emerging Nanotechnologies: Steps Towards A Forward-Looking Analysis Of Skills," HSE Working papers WP BRP 15/STI/2013, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    2. Schot, Johan & Kanger, Laur, 2018. "Deep transitions: Emergence, acceleration, stabilization and directionality," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6), pages 1045-1059.
    3. Werle, Raymund, 2011. "Institutional analysis of technical innovation: A review," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2011-04, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    4. Markard, Jochen & Raven, Rob & Truffer, Bernhard, 2012. "Sustainability transitions: An emerging field of research and its prospects," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 955-967.
    5. Bolton, Ronan & Foxon, Timothy J., 2015. "Infrastructure transformation as a socio-technical process — Implications for the governance of energy distribution networks in the UK," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 90(PB), pages 538-550.
    6. Ziad Rotaba & Catherine Beaudry, 2012. "How Do High, Medium, And Low Tech Firms Innovate? A System Of Innovation (Si) Approach," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 9(05), pages 1-23.
    7. Marco Gallegati, 2019. "A system for dating long wave phases in economic development," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 803-822, July.
    8. Grande, Rafael & Muñoz de Bustillo, Rafael & Fernández Macías, Enrique & Antón, José Ignacio, 2020. "Innovation and job quality. A firm-level exploration," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 130-142.
    9. Martin Henning & Hans Westlund & Kerstin Enflo, 2023. "Urban–rural population changes and spatial inequalities in Sweden," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(4), pages 878-892, May.
    10. Vianna Franco, Marco P. & Ribeiro, Leonardo Costa & Albuquerque, Eduardo da Motta e, 2022. "Beyond Random Causes: Harmonic Analysis Of Business Cycles At The Moscow Conjuncture Institute," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(3), pages 456-476, September.
    11. Mark Knell & Simone Vannuccini, 2022. "Tools and concepts for understanding disruptive technological change after Schumpeter," Jena Economics Research Papers 2022-005, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    12. António Madureira & Nico Baken & Harry Bouwman, 2011. "Value of digital information networks: a holonic framework," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-30, April.
    13. Okereke, Chukwumerije & Coke, Alexia & Geebreyesus, Mulu & Ginbo, Tsegaye & Wakeford, Jeremy J. & Mulugetta, Yacob, 2019. "Governing green industrialisation in Africa: Assessing key parameters for a sustainable socio-technical transition in the context of Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 279-290.
    14. Avelino, Flor & Wittmayer, Julia M. & Pel, Bonno & Weaver, Paul & Dumitru, Adina & Haxeltine, Alex & Kemp, René & Jørgensen, Michael S. & Bauler, Tom & Ruijsink, Saskia & O'Riordan, Tim, 2019. "Transformative social innovation and (dis)empowerment," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 195-206.
    15. Hall, Stephen & Foxon, Timothy J., 2014. "Values in the Smart Grid: The co-evolving political economy of smart distribution," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 600-609.
    16. Hayter, Roger & Clapp, Alex, 2020. "Towards a collaborative (public-private partnership) approach to research and development in Canada’s forest sector: an innovation system perspective," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    17. Colvin, John & Blackmore, Chris & Chimbuya, Sam & Collins, Kevin & Dent, Mark & Goss, John & Ison, Ray & Roggero, Pier Paolo & Seddaiu, Giovanna, 2014. "In search of systemic innovation for sustainable development: A design praxis emerging from a decade of social learning inquiry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 760-771.
    18. John Cantwell, 2014. "A commentary on Grazia Ietto-Gillies' paper: 'The Theory of the Transnational Corporation at 50+'," Economic Thought, World Economics Association, vol. 3(2), pages 1-58, September.
    19. David Gibbs & Kirstie O'Neill, 2014. "Rethinking Sociotechnical Transitions and Green Entrepreneurship: The Potential for Transformative Change in the Green Building Sector," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 46(5), pages 1088-1107, May.
    20. Clifford Bekar & Kenneth Carlaw & Richard Lipsey, 2018. "General purpose technologies in theory, application and controversy: a review," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 28(5), pages 1005-1033, December.

    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:gam:jeners:v:7:y:2014:i:9:p:5601-5623:d:39668. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.