Energy civilization through industrial modernity and beyond

1. Thor Øvind Jensen *) University of Bergen Andreas Nesse Persson, University of Oslo Clifford Shearing, Univ of Cape Town Tom Skauge, Bergen University College Energy civilization through industrial modernity and beyond 8th International Scientific Conference on «Energy and ClimateChange» Promitheas/KEPA 7-9 October 2015, Athens, Greece *) Thor.O.Jensen@aorg.uib.no

2. Transition to Sustainable Energy Systems in Emerging Economies • Three of authors (Jensen Shearing, Skauge) are in the core group of the SANCOOP project Transition to Sustainable Energy Systems in Emerging Economies. A South African Focused Comparative Project. Financed by the Norwegian and South African Research councils 2014-2016. Countries included are Brazil, China, India and South Africa. This paper is based on theoretical discussions early in the project and some preliminary impressions from our interviewing. Backgrounds in Political Science, Criminology/Regulation and Engineering

3. Anthropocene is a neccessity and an opportunity • Anthorpocene: The age werehumansareimportant formers ofecology and theearth • Energy politicspoint to thepossibilitythathumanswilldamagetheirown habitat and tdestrpytheircivilization • The Anthropocene and ourreflections over it makes usintoresponsible and ableactors • In theAntropocenehumans ar emaking and maintainingtheir habitat withtheability to destroy and proteact, as well as handle theunknowns

4. What is energy ? • Not a finiteresource. It seem to be so aboundantthat it is difficult to imaginethe limits • Hydro, hydrocarbons, waves, tidal, wind, sun, grund heat, nuclear……. • The organizing, concentrating and storing ofenergy has been and is crucial for developmentofcivilizations, and thedestructionofthem • It is not likely, nor neccesary to cutenergysupply or consumtionofenergy • Butthe relative costof storing and transport might press theotherway • Production, converting, storing , distributionofenergycan be organized in manyways. Someofthechosenonesaretodaythreateningtheclimate and environment

5. Electricity in industrial modernity • Electricity bacame a main form of distributing and organizing energy • IT is in itself close to unproblematic • The development went frorm decentralization and pluralism to standardization and grid-based, state regulated and supportet boig-scale production. • The «wonder of electricity» was a huge cultural force with in a larger context of progress, science and a special perpective on nature and organization • Coal and oil as main drivers of a huge centralized , economies-of-scale-system 1900 • Hydrolectrical and nuclear were also buildt in this image

6. Institutionalization • Markets, organizations, knowledge, professions, workers, routines, regulation, cultureadapted to thisstructurebecomes rigid hard-to-changeorganizational and culturalclusters • PATH DEPENDENCE, • Therearealways a menuoftechnologicalpossibilities, to understand theonesthatgo from niche to landscape, thatbacomesthepath, we must understand regulation, marketforces and consumer’svalues • Whydidwe not getthe «Hydrogen Society» • New Nuclear (phase IV), hydrogen, wind, solar are

7. Commodification and alienation • Classical pre-industrialworldhadenergy as personal, family-based, decentralized • Modernity and industrializationreshapedenergy in the form of a standardizedcommodity • Canenergy be decommodified ? • Manynewtechnologiesaredownardscalable and canbecome personal • Consumer and marked baseddecisions and ownership • Manufacturingpower • Solar, wind, New Nuclear • Energy citizenship and newAnthropoceneawareness ? • Smart meters/grids, co-production, prosumers, decentralizedpersonalizedtechnology (as in IT revolution 1980-2010)

8. Energy politics, markets and culture • Crises driven ? • The general energy and climatecrisis • +Pollutioncrisis (China) • +Distribution and productionCrises (SA) • Regulation • Inherent need for protection and regulation • Coststructure, especiallyrenewables • Public Good • Sateparticipation and regulationnecessary (feed-in. contracts) • Regulationlock-ins • Municipalincomeneeds, sunkcost, institutionalforces • Regulationopenings: Economiesofscale, socialtechnological landscape shaping,

9. Change factors in electrical energy systems • Lock-ins , mostly negative, but….. • Regulation structure • -SA muniucipal revenue system • -Grid structure and interests • -Niche lock-ins of new tecnology • Tipping points for change • Mainstreaing of new technology • Brazil Wind, German Solar/Wind, Chinese Solar/wind • From Niche into the market • Manufacturing, mass production and new market interets • Consumer and marked demand changes, decommodification ?

10. Summing up 1: Electrical energy change • Change pressurse cluster (Attention factors) • Antropocene actors, climate, nature • Pollution health problems • Energy supply and need • Energy Citizenship • Technological change • Intermediaries (Motivation factors) • Market dvelopment • Manufactorung intereets • Consumer demand • Regulative setup • PATH developments (Pathways and action ) • Path breakup, institution degeneration • New paths, new institutions • New Energy landscapes

11. Summing up 2: The big picture • Anthropocene responsibility on many actors levels (politics, companies, citizen) • goes together with • New decentralized energy production and grid structures and manufacturing interests and decommodification of energy • helped by • Regulative door-opening and solving lock-ins on grid and market level • Into • Beyond tipping-point changes into sustainabale energy systems • China: wind energy, Brasil: Wind Energy contracting • SA: Wind and Solar in IPP processes • Consuners in north and south taklng energy into their household values decisions on new ways as Energy Citizens and co-producers