IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/eaiere/v17y2020i1d10.1007_s40844-019-00153-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Coevolution of institutions and residents toward sustainable glocal development: a case study on the Kuni Umi solar power project on Awaji Island

Author

Listed:
  • Natsuka Tokumaru

    (Ritsumeikan University)

Abstract

Establishing effective institutions to promote renewable energy (RE) is an urgent battle in the war against global warming. The RE program Kuni Umi Solar Power Plant with Resident Participation (KSPP) on Awaji Island in Japan has succeeded in large-scale RE deployment in the short term. This paper regards the KSPP as an example of institutional change and examines it from four perspectives—(1) path dependency and exogenous shock, (2) institutions as mediating micro- and macro-factors, (3) residents as micro-actors, and (4) macro- and micro-outcomes—and provides empirical research using a survey of residents. First, institutional change in Awaji has occurred with its rich social and natural capital resources and the crisis it has faced due to depopulation and a mega-earthquake as contrasting backdrops. Second, KSPP had an effective institutional design that integrates different actors—the feed-in-tariff (FIT) system at a national level, the NPO Kuni Umi Association that builds and manages the KSPP, and the Awaji residents who financed the project. Third, Awaji residents were key micro-actors in supporting the KSPP project. Our questionnaire survey shows that the initial period of living in Awaji significantly affects people’s willingness to invest in socially responsible investments, whether for environmental protection or regional activation, because of their attachment to the region. Finally, we show that KSPP is achieving RE deployment and local activation as macro-outcomes of institutional change. Further, the prefectural resident survey shows that residents’ attachments were significantly enhanced after the KSPP. From the case study, we conclude that a key to institutional change in achieving sustainable development goals is an institutional scheme that matches the specific conditions of a region, promotes cooperation among private and public actors, and integrates goals that bring a dynamic evolutionary process of micro-actors and macro-outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Natsuka Tokumaru, 2020. "Coevolution of institutions and residents toward sustainable glocal development: a case study on the Kuni Umi solar power project on Awaji Island," Evolutionary and Institutional Economics Review, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 197-217, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eaiere:v:17:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s40844-019-00153-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s40844-019-00153-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s40844-019-00153-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s40844-019-00153-1?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. Greif, Avner & Laitin, David D., 2004. "A Theory of Endogenous Institutional Change," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 98(4), pages 633-652, November.
    2. Arild Vatn, 2009. "Sustainability, Institutions and Behavior," Springer Books, in: Volker Beckmann & Martina Padmanabhan (ed.), Institutions and Sustainability, chapter 14, pages 293-314, Springer.
    3. David, Paul A, 1985. "Clio and the Economics of QWERTY," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 332-337, May.
    4. Komiyama, Ryoichi & Fujii, Yasumasa, 2017. "Assessment of post-Fukushima renewable energy policy in Japan's nation-wide power grid," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 594-611.
    5. Byrnes, Liam & Brown, Colin & Wagner, Liam & Foster, John, 2016. "Reviewing the viability of renewable energy in community electrification: The case of remote Western Australian communities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 470-481.
    6. Walker, Gordon & Devine-Wright, Patrick, 2008. "Community renewable energy: What should it mean," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 497-500, February.
    7. Bauwens, Thomas, 2016. "Explaining the diversity of motivations behind community renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 278-290.
    8. Wirth, Steffen, 2014. "Communities matter: Institutional preconditions for community renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 236-246.
    9. Polzin, Friedemann & Egli, Florian & Steffen, Bjarne & Schmidt, Tobias S., 2019. "How do policies mobilize private finance for renewable energy?—A systematic review with an investor perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 1249-1268.
    10. Sakaguchi, Takushi & Tabata, Tomohiro, 2015. "100% electric power potential of PV, wind power, and biomass energy in Awaji island Japan," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1156-1165.
    11. Ben Campbell & Jon Cloke & Ed Brown, 2016. "Communities of energy," Economic Anthropology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(1), pages 133-144, January.
    12. Bauwens, Thomas & Devine-Wright, Patrick, 2018. "Positive energies? An empirical study of community energy participation and attitudes to renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 612-625.
    13. El Bassam, N, 2001. "Renewable energy for rural communities," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 401-408.
    14. Amable, Bruno, 2017. "Structural Crisis and Institutional Change in Modern Capitalism: French Capitalism in Transition," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198787815.
    15. Hall, Peter A. & Taylor, Rosemary C. R., 1996. "Political science and the three new institutionalisms," MPIfG Discussion Paper 96/6, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    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. Yuichi Ikeda, 2020. "Special issue: the 7th international symposium on human survivability “let’s work together toward achieving the sustainable development goals”—part II," Evolutionary and Institutional Economics Review, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 469-471, July.
    2. Vitaliy SERZHANOV & Fedir ABRAMOV & Volodymyr ANDRYSHYN, 2024. "The Influence Of Demonstrative Formal Rules On The Dynamics Of The Effectiveness Of Institutional Frameworks," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 19(2), pages 238-249, 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. Romero-Castro, Noelia & Piñeiro-Chousa, Juan & Pérez-Pico, Ada, 2021. "Dealing with heterogeneity and complexity in the analysis of the willingness to invest in community renewable energy in rural areas," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    2. Dalia Streimikiene & Tomas Baležentis & Artiom Volkov & Mangirdas Morkūnas & Agnė Žičkienė & Justas Streimikis, 2021. "Barriers and Drivers of Renewable Energy Penetration in Rural Areas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-28, October.
    3. Klein, Sharon J.W. & Coffey, Stephanie, 2016. "Building a sustainable energy future, one community at a time," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 867-880.
    4. Lode, M.L. & te Boveldt, G. & Coosemans, T. & Ramirez Camargo, L., 2022. "A transition perspective on Energy Communities: A systematic literature review and research agenda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    5. Berka, Anna L. & Creamer, Emily, 2018. "Taking stock of the local impacts of community owned renewable energy: A review and research agenda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3400-3419.
    6. Sirr, Gordon & Power, Bernadette & Ryan, Geraldine & Eakins, John & O’Connor, Ellen & le Maitre, Julia, 2023. "An analysis of the factors affecting Irish citizens’ willingness to invest in wind energy projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    7. Thomas Rixen & Lora Anne Viola, 2015. "Putting path dependence in its place: toward a Taxonomy of institutional change," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 27(2), pages 301-323, April.
    8. Haji Bashi, Mazaher & De Tommasi, Luciano & Le Cam, Andreea & Relaño, Lorena Sánchez & Lyons, Padraig & Mundó, Joana & Pandelieva-Dimova, Ivanka & Schapp, Henrik & Loth-Babut, Karolina & Egger, Christ, 2023. "A review and mapping exercise of energy community regulatory challenges in European member states based on a survey of collective energy actors," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    9. Jacobo Ramirez, 2021. "Governance in energy democracy for Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges and opportunities for partnerships at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 119-135, March.
    10. Beate Fischer & Gunnar Gutsche & Heike Wetzel, 2020. "Who wants to get involved? Determinants of citizens’ willingness to participate in German renewable energy cooperatives," MAGKS Papers on Economics 202027, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    11. Fuentes González, Fabián & van der Weijde, Adriaan Hendrik & Sauma, Enzo, 2020. "The promotion of community energy projects in Chile and Scotland: An economic approach using biform games," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    12. Conradie, Peter D. & De Ruyck, Olivia & Saldien, Jelle & Ponnet, Koen, 2021. "Who wants to join a renewable energy community in Flanders? Applying an extended model of Theory of Planned Behaviour to understand intent to participate," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    13. Taghikhah, Firouzeh Rosa & Taghikhah, Masoud & Marshall, Jonathan Paul & Voinov, Alexey, 2024. "Navigating the community renewable energy landscape: An analytics-driven policy formulation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 362(C).
    14. Knauf, Jakob & le Maitre, Julia, 2023. "A matter of acceptability? Understanding citizen investment schemes in the context of onshore wind farm development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    15. Menyeh, Bridget Okyerebea, 2021. "Financing electricity access in Africa: A choice experiment study of household investor preferences for renewable energy investments in Ghana," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    16. Petrovich, Beatrice & Kubli, Merla, 2023. "Energy communities for companies: Executives’ preferences for local and renewable energy procurement," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    17. Proudlove, Richard & Finch, Sue & Thomas, Sebastian, 2020. "Factors influencing intention to invest in a community owned renewable energy initiative in Queensland, Australia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    18. Bauwens, Thomas, 2019. "Analyzing the determinants of the size of investments by community renewable energy members: Findings and policy implications from Flanders," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 841-852.
    19. Chiara Candelise & Gianluca Ruggieri, 2017. "Community Energy in Italy: Heterogeneous institutional characteristics and citizens engagement," IEFE Working Papers 93, IEFE, Center for Research on Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    20. Lanka Horstink & Julia M. Wittmayer & Kiat Ng & Guilherme Pontes Luz & Esther Marín-González & Swantje Gährs & Inês Campos & Lars Holstenkamp & Sem Oxenaar & Donal Brown, 2020. "Collective Renewable Energy Prosumers and the Promises of the Energy Union: Taking Stock," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-30, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Institutional change; Renewable energy; Micro–macro-loop; Regional activation; SDGs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B5 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches
    • R1 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:spr:eaiere:v:17:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s40844-019-00153-1. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.