Energy Policy: Concepts, Actors, Instruments and Recent Developments

Abstract

The article analyses the specific features of energy policy-making, by exploring the relevant dimensions of the matters and the interdependence between energy policy and other sectors. A recognition of the evolution of energy policy – and of the policy change which occurred in recent years – is provided, as a starting point for applying the tools of policy studies to the analysis of energy policy-making. Two different types are then identified: the external policy-making concerning security matters; and the internal policy-making concerning organizational and market-related issues. It will be seen that each type of policy-making is characterized by a particular policy sub-system with its own actors, instruments, arenas and dynamics.

Stealth democracy, elitism, and citizenship in Finnish energy policy

“…An American study showed that organizational barriers to more extensive interest representation were higher in the energy sector than in other policy domains [1]. Some firms, especially state-owned and, more generally, those operating in the energy supply, have had privileged access to decision-making arenas, which have remained mostly closed off to average citizens [2].…”

“…N is the number of statements inTable 1 2. InTable 1"difference" between the elite and citizenry/N.3 The total energy consumption by energy sources in Finland in 2015 was as follows: wood fuels 25.6% (20.5% in 2007), oil 23.9% (24.6%), nuclear energy 18.7% (16.7%), coal 8.0% (13.0%), natural gas 6.1% (10.0%), hydro power…”

Energiepolitik

“….]." (Ströbele et al 2012, S. 335) Politikwissenschaftliche Analysen der Energiepolitik werden in dieser Zeit kaum verfasst (Prontera 2009;Hughes und Lipscy 2013), was dem Umstand geschuldet sein mag, dass die "ökonomische Deutungshoheit in zentralen gesellschaftlichen Steuerungsfragen" kaum Raum gelassen hat für sozialwissenschaftliche Analysen, die "die gesellschaftliche Wirklichkeit nicht in dem engen Korsett einer auf Nutzenmaximierung beruhenden Kapitallogik beschreiben, sondern auf die Wechselwirkungen zwischen der Ökonomie, sozialen und politischen Strukturen eingehen." (Heinze 2009, S. 13) Wenn überhaupt, dann gibt es aus dieser Zeit politikwissenschaftliche Studien, die die Energiepolitik international vergleichend betrachten (Feigenbaum et al 1993).…”

“…Dieser wird von der Energiepolitik durch die Implementierung verbindlicher Regeln, unter denen die Energieversorgung stattfindet, geschafft (Ströbele et al 2012, S. 13). Das politikwissenschaftliche Erkenntnisinteresse ist dabei vor allem auf die institutionellen Bedingungen, die Politikarenen und ihre jeweiligen Akteure, die zu regelnden Gegenstände sowie auf die Art und Weise, wie Regelungen geschaffen werden, gerichtet (Prontera 2009). Das Erkenntnisinteresse der Energieökonomen richtet sich vor allem auf die spezifischen Strukturen von Nachfrage und Angebot im Energiebereich sowie auf die "Analyse und Kritik der konkreten energiepolitischen Interventionen unter Effizienzaspekten" (Ströbele et al 2012, S. 13).…”

Evolution of China’s energy security : the impact of domestic reforms and policies

“…Energy policy as a whole refers to a country's policy effort to meet its energy needs. A specific intervention subset, or a specific energy policy, refers to energy policies for an individual energy subsector (such as coal, oil, renewable, energy R&D, energy efficiency) and energy policies dealing with a specific subset such as the welfare of consumers, the environmental impact, safety and health, transportation requirements, employment implications, balance of payments concerns, and geopolitical stresses (Goode, 1980;Prontera, 2009).…”