ABSTRACT

The vision of energy independence has been a powerful driver for an energy transition, particularly during a period at which the geopolitical struggles with which the US engaged have been associated with securing fossil fuel resources. Governments and industries globally continue to invest in the development of traditional fossil fuel reserves, from coal to oil and natural gas. The need to understand the socio-technical dynamics of energy system change has been one driver behind the growing interest in studying transitions. The notion of a low-carbon transition, or the need to develop the technologies, systems, and policies through which to develop and grow an economy that would be based on low-carbon energy resources, has grown in popularity through the twenty-first century. The provision of energy to support economic development has historically been an important driver of how national governments have sought to design and develop energy systems.