Energie-Enquete 2017

The nuclear phasing out and promoted energy turnaround (Energiewende) could constitute a major driver for renewable energy projects. Increasing the share of renewable energy is seen as indispensable to solve the energy supply dilemma. This new orientation faces various challenges not only on a technical, but also on a political level. We argue that the governmental decision as such does not automatically induce energy turnaround. In order to make change happen, renewable energy projects and innovative policy instruments enhancing them have to be accepted and realized at the regional and local level. Economists typically argue that incentive based instruments (e.g., green taxes) linked to regulatory measures are most effective to limit energy use and to promote renewable energies (Thalmann 2004). But this type of proposals is particularly difficult to implement, given that political and institutional aspects (e.g., attitudes of political actors and voters, existing regulations on various levels especially regarding the grid) create “lock-in” situations that hinder the diffusion of renewable energy (Stadelmann-Steffen 2011; Knill & Lenschow 2005). Several regional and local initiatives explicitly promoting renewable energies have failed making for instance the typical dilemma between renewables and environmental protection evident. The overarching question arises as to how effective policy change towards renewable energy can be achieved. In this vein, we start with the idea that effective policy change leading to the realization of regional and local renewable energy projects can be determined by assessing different aspects of “social acceptance” (Wüstenhagen et al. 2007). We argue that – besides technology acceptance by the market – the acceptance of policies and instrument mixes is a crucial pre-condition for project success. So we concentrate on the acceptance of policies and instrument mixes (e.g., regulatory and incentive measures) by (1) the political elite involved in energy policy decision-making (socio-political acceptance) and by (2) citizens as expressed through their vote or other political intervention (community acceptance). Empirically, and via a comparative case study, social network analysis, and experimental survey design, we assess the promotion of alternative electricity from renewable sources (solar, wind, geothermal and small scale hydro power) and ask: 1. Where, when and why have renewable electricity projects failed or succeeded in the past? 2. What current policy drivers (e.g., public attention, actors’ networks, pressure from landscape protection) impact the socio-political acceptance of innovative instrument mixes on the regional and local level? 3. How to conceive prospective policy designs and instrument mixes that enhance community acceptance and citizen’s preferences in favor of regional and local renewable electricity projects