Down the Line: Assessing the Trajectory of Energy Policy Research Development

Abstract

In light of the impassioned debate regarding various aspects of global climate change, as well as the demand for reliable energy supply for swift economic recovery and stable economic growth in recent years, contemporary policy research on issues concerning energy and natural resources has gained more traction than at any other time in recent history. In this article, we attempt to characterize the recent trends of such research endeavors while reviewing related articles published in major scholarly journals in public policy and related fields of study between 2010 and early 2014. We found that the subtleties of recent energy policy studies revolve around issues pertaining to nuclear energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and hydraulic fracturing operations, while such studies use diverse theoretical and methodological approaches in analyzing various facets of energy policy process ranging from issue framing and agenda setting, to policy formulation and diffusion, to policy evaluation and feasibility assessment. We conclude this article by discussing future research directions of energy policy issues.

Understanding Local Policy Elites’ Perceptions on the Benefits and Risks Associated with High‐Voltage Power Line Installations in the State of Arkansas

“…Additionally, our findings provide a new avenue for promising future research from a risk policymaking point of view. While many previous studies in risk perception in general and particularly cultural theory of risk perception are mostly concerned with views of the general public or technical experts at best, this study specifically examines the perceptions of local policy elites, one of the most critical segments of political actors in state and local‐level policy‐making processes in a pluralist democracy . As key policymakers and community leaders, local policy elites have the capacity to exert a direct influence on the subtleties of public policy dealing with various hazards and risks, as well as establishing institutional arrangements and the greater sociopolitical context surrounding a diverse set of risk issues.…”

“…As such, exploration into, and findings from, the controversy surrounding the installation of HVPLs in Arkansas provides a glimpse into the factors at work in one of many controversies relating to the expansion of a national energy grid in the United States, and even into global energy policies where similar conflicts exist. The findings of this research will certainly be applicable in the endeavor to understand and deal with ongoing policy disputes associated with other energy policy issues such as hydraulic fracturing practices, nuclear energy facility operations, and nuclear byproduct storage issues, among others . Lastly, it is noteworthy that while this research helps explicate policy elites’ attitude formation toward benefits and risks associated with HVPL installations from a risk perception perspective, it does not explicitly discuss how such attitudes may shape related policy preferences or translate into specific political actions in the policy‐making process.…”

“…While many previous studies in risk perception in general and particularly cultural theory of risk perception are mostly concerned with views of the general public or technical experts at best, (42,45,(47)(48)(49) this study specifically examines the perceptions of local policy elites, one of the most critical segments of political actors in state and local-level policy-making processes in a pluralist democracy. (50) As key policymakers and community leaders, local policy elites have the capacity to exert a direct influence on the subtleties of public policy dealing with various hazards and risks, as well as establishing institutional arrangements and the greater sociopolitical context surrounding a diverse set of risk issues. More importantly, our analytical results show that the way in which local policy elites shape their risk perceptions may not be distinctively different from the general public (45) in that they are driven by their intrinsic values and holistic affect, which suggests why any policy-making process dealing with various risks would in great likelihood be political and judgmental rather than technical and "rational" by nature.…”

“…The findings of this research will certainly be applicable in the endeavor to understand and deal with ongoing policy disputes associated with other energy policy issues such as hydraulic fracturing practices, nuclear energy facility operations, and nuclear byproduct storage issues, among others. (50) Lastly, it is noteworthy that while this research helps explicate policy elites' attitude formation toward benefits and risks associated with HVPL installations from a risk perception perspective, it does not explicitly discuss how such attitudes may shape related policy preferences or translate into specific political actions in the policy-making process. Along with the possibility of conforming external validity of research findings across various risk domains or subgroups within society, this provides ample opportunity for future research endeavors.…”

Fracking Bad Guys: The Role of Narrative Character Affect in Shaping Hydraulic Fracturing Policy Preferences

“… For example, see Gastil, Braman, Kahan, and Slovic () who “dispense with the fatalistic political culture” altogether (Swedlow, , p. 707) or Ney () who offers a convincing argument for omitting the fatalist category in his analysis of social innovation policy narratives in Germany. …”